Trading Heartbeats
by yasminscorner
Summary: Four friends meet the four superstars of their dreams, but what happens when one is claimed not only to trade heartbeats, but constantly change the person between her sheets?
1. Chapter 1

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 1 : _**Spilled Coffee**

"Shh, it's about to come on," hushed a petite girl of about 24. She smoothed down her shoulder-length black hair which complemented her dark brown skin well. She crawled over in front of the T.V. sitting cross-legged on the floor, barefoot. This petite girl went by Khaila, (no, not Kayla, but Khaila - as in Kyle-ah), and although she appeared to be the smallest of her group of companions, personality-wise that wasn't so. "We know, Khaila. We can see," chimed in another girl a year older and several inches taller than Khaila. She, herself, had shoulder-length hair; although instead of side-bangs and brown hair as Khaila had, this girl had bangs running straight across her forehead accompanied by red hair. She was of the same complexion as Khaila if not lighter by a shade or two. She sat cross-legged on the couch staring up at the rotating ceiling fan. This girl went by the name of Sonelle. To her left, with her feet hanging off of the arm of the sofa while her back rested on the seat was another girl, Brittany, whose hair had stretched down her back and was a deep brown colour. Brittany seemed to be a carbon copy of Sonelle only a bit shorter, a year younger and only a smidge quieter. Her eyes gazed up at her cell phone that she held up towards the ceiling while her fingers swept across it as she texted.

Suddenly another girl, carrying a bowl of popcorn, stumbled into the room after tripping over a pair of her own ankle-high converse. She had long, wavy, deep red hair that stretched no further than the center of her back and was about 25 years old. This girl had a different complexion from her companions; she was fairer. As she set the popcorn down on the small coffee table, she took a seat on the floor hugging her knees and gazing with her grey/green eyes up at the T.V. As she pinned her side-bangs behind her ear, she picked up a piece of popcorn and ate it at once. This girl's name was Amelia Rose.

Back on the sofa, Brittany had shifted her position on the couch to sitting cross-legged. "It's starting," Amelia exclaimed. Instantly, Sonelle picked up the T.V. remote and turned up the volume on the T.V. '_Yes, sir, we promised you a great match_,' spoke the man in the opening credits. Amelia's eyes lit up as flashes of older wrestling matches and wrestlers passed by on the screen followed by the big 'W' with a line under it. The pyrotechnics soared and flashed around the arena welcoming the crowd of Chicago, Illinois to the WWE Pay-Per-View _Money In the Bank_. If it wasn't apparent by now, Amelia and her three best friends bonded over something most girls their age wouldn't, and that was wrestling. They would watch every Pay-Per-View, every Monday night RAW and every Friday night Smackdown together. "It's like tradition," as Brittany had put it one Friday evening while they were all gathered at the apartment that she shared with Sonelle. (In all, the four girls rented two apartments; Brittany and Sonelle stayed in the one directly to the right of Amelia and Khaila's (the one they'd watch Money In The Bank at.)

Brittany, Sonelle, Khaila and Amelia stared intently at the T.V. screen taking in every single moment of the Money In The Bank Pay-Per-View. "I can't believe they're in _our_ home town of Chicago, Illinois, and we couldn't get tickets to see them," sighed Amelia. The others groaned and muttered 'yeah' and 'I know, right'. After the arena, the home town, the Pay-Per-View, and the matches had been introduced by head commentator, Michael Cole, the ring bell sounded three times. "This first match," began the ring announcer Justin Roberts, "is the Smackdown Money In The Bank ladder match!" The crowd came to life applauding and roaring with excitement. Brittany and Amelia shifted excitedly in their seats as their favourite superstars from this brand were about to make their way to the ring. "The only way to win this match," Justin Roberts further explained after the crowd seemed to die down a bit, "is to climb up the ladder and seize the briefcase hanging high above this ring! The superstar who does retrieve the briefcase will be Mr. Money In The Bank." The crowd roared to life once more.

Suddenly, _Feel The Power_ by S-Preme began to play as Brittany let out a slight shriek and sat upright staring at the T.V. "Making his way to the ring from Cape Town, South Africa," introduced Justin Roberts, "weighing 223 pounds," he paused before continuing, "Justin Gabriel!" Brittany clasped her hands to her chest resting them right over her heart as she watched Justin Gabriel make his way to the ring. Superstars such as Kane, Wade Barrett, Sin Cara, Sheamus, Daniel Bryan and Heath Slater made their individual ways to the ring, but Amelia was waiting for one more theme song to play. "_Woah-Oh,_" the song dragged. Amelia jumped a bit as she stared at the T.V. marvelling at the man with a face mask who tried to avoid contact with the camera. "Making his way to the ring from Marietta, Georgia and weighing in at 223 pounds … Cody Rhodes," called Justin Roberts. A smile cracked itself onto Amelia's face as she watched Cody push the camera away every now and then while he climbed into the ring.

"Come on, Justin! You can't let Cody win," Brittany called out to the T.V. as Cody Rhodes climbed onto the ladder.

"I can't stand Cody Rhodes - him insulting everyone and their religion," continued Khaila as she watched the match rocking back and forth in her seat. Amelia merely smiled whispering things such as 'Come on, Cody,' under her breath. If it hadn't been made clear yet, Brittany, Sonelle, and Khaila had detested Cody Rhodes while Amelia seemed to be quite infatuated by this superstar. Amelia no longer cheered rather loudly for Cody while with her friends; she found it rather monotonous arguing back and forth with her friends about Cody's gimmick and technically-sound abilities. So, instead of stirring up controversy, she merely muttered chants and goading Cody along in his match under her breath.

The Pay-Per-View progressed and to both Brittany and Amelia's displeasure neither Justin Gabriel nor Cody Rhodes had risen victorious. Moments after, another briefcase was hanging high above the ring as ladders were gathered around it. Justin Roberts introduced this match as the RAW Money In the Bank ladder match. It was Sonelle's turn to straighten up in her seat as she anticipated the entrance of her favourite superstar, Kofi Kingston. "And from Ghana, West Africa, weighing 221 pounds … Kofi Kingston," Justin Roberts had introduced. The match continued on with Sonelle, Brittany, Khaila and Amelia chanting for Kofi to win this match. Alas, to the displeasure of all of them (but most of all Sonelle's), Kofi along with 6 other superstars had come up short of a win. Finally, it was time for the main event. All of them were eager to watch this, however, Khaila seemed a bit more anxious as her favourite superstar, CM Punk, was to participate in this match for the WWE Championship.

The match continued on going back and forth between CM Punk and his opponent and champion at the time, John Cena. Finally, it happened. CM Punk had landed the GTS, and Khaila (along with Chicago, Illinois including Amelia, Brittany and Sonelle) stood up squealing and shrieking in victory as the referee counted the one, two, three and awarded CM Punk his championship. After the match, however, the chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon, who had been standing ringside with Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, John Laurinaitis, (who had received a punch to the face by John Cena during the match and now lay unconscious) had signalled for the RAW Money In The Bank winner in order to cash in for the championship and somehow win it back. Vince had desperately wanted to win back the WWE Championship due to that fact that after tonight, after this Pay-Per-View, CM Punk would walk away from the WWE, and Punk vowed he'd take the WWE Championship with him. An embarrassment like that was the last thing Vince had wanted.

As CM Punk realized what had happened, he delivered a kick to the temple of the Money In The Bank winner and ran off with the championship blowing a kiss to his former boss. The Pay-Per-View concluded and Amelia, Khaila, Brittany and Sonelle looked around at each other with smiles plastered onto their faces. A native Chicago, Illinois born had won the WWE Championship, and there was no sense of pride prouder than that. "I say we celebrate," Sonelle proclaimed as she searched for her shoes.

"With what," Brittany asked in reference to the empty popcorn bowl. Khaila chuckled as she helped Sonelle retrieve her shoes from underneath the couch.

"Well, we could always go out," Amelia suggested while turning off the television and picking up the popcorn bowl which had almost slipped out of her hand.

"Where would we go," Khaila asked as she rose to her feet after handing Sonelle her converse.

"Well, there's a coffee shop downtown," Amelia began as she emptied out the popcorn bowl full of nothing but popcorn kernels into the dirt box in the kitchen while spilling a bit on the floor by accident. She stooped down and picked them up hastily, throwing them into the garbage before she continued, "they sell all these cakes and frozen coffees." As she tossed the empty bowl into the sink, she re-entered the living room.

"What better way to celebrate a CM Punk victory," exclaimed Sonelle. "We'll drink coffee to his success!" Amelia and her friends laughed as they put on their shoes and gathered up their wallets before heading out to the parking lot. Amelia offered her car (/ki8ul2j) and the four girls piled in. In little to no time at all, they were driving down the streets of Chicago to the quaint café Amelia had told them about, and after a few minutes, Amelia pulled into the small parking lot and shut off the engine. As the four girls exited the vehicle they entered the small café. Although it had been one of the smallest buildings on the block, it's vintage and quaint style certainly made up for that.

The café had booths set up against the most right wall of the building, each having a window which was draped with short dark brown curtains and that allowed customers to gaze at the passing cars. The floors were tiled with white tiles and the counter had been set up just across from the booths. "Where do we sit," asked Khaila as she looked around at the vacant booths - which happened to be most. There had only been two other sets of customers in the café: a couple that seemed to be bickering over which drapes they would get to hang in their bedroom and six men, three on each side of the booth, all wearing hats and hoodies politely sipping their coffee and barely uttering a word. Amelia, stretching her neck, finally suggested, "How about that one?" She pointed at the last booth. The girls agreed, but remained in line together.

As the man working behind the counter approached them, he introduced himself as Mark and asked for their orders. As the girls individually decided on and relayed their orders, Amelia could not help but feel a chill down her spine as if someone had been staring at them. She inconspicuously glanced at the set of each customers before looking out the window pretending to be interested in the passing cars. She turned once more to the counter and paid for her frozen coffee along with her companions. The four of them made their way to the last booth in the café and seated themselves there. Brittany had taken the seat closest to the window while Amelia sat nearer to the edge of the booth. Both had sat with their backs to the sets of customers. Khaila and Sonelle sat opposite from them with Khaila taking the window seat.

The girls each sipped their frozen coffees and lattés while discussing a variety of topics such as: wrestling, what they'd do tomorrow, extreme stunts they'd vowed that they one day would attempt and the latest celebrity news - making fun of it, mostly. It was a matter of time before the four friends had finished their frozen coffees and lattés; however, that hadn't satisfied them enough. They were still hungry. Withdrawing their wallets and pulling out coins accumulating enough money to buy at least 4 cookies, they handed it to Amelia. "Here, Amelia. You go buy it," Sonelle said as she dropped the collected coins into Amelia's palm. Amelia groaned looking at the distance she had to walk then looked back at her companions who'd seemed to have the same expression pasted on their faces. Sighing, Amelia reluctantly rose out of her seat and made her way to the counter counting the coins in her hand.

As she had neared the counter, however, someone had bumped hard into Amelia. The coins clanged to the floor as both Amelia and her bumper toppled over landing beside each other. Brittany, Sonelle, and Khaila rose from their seats immediately as did the six - well, now five - men. With her hand pressed to the side of her head, she stole a quick glanced over at her bumper. He'd now been on his knees in the process of getting up. Before he did so, however, he stooped down beside Amelia offering his hand to help her up. Accepting it, she was helped to her feet. "Sorry about the spilled coffee," he lisped apologetically. As Amelia shook her head opening her mouth to say that it had been all her fault, she glanced up into the face of her bumper, and what or who she saw left her absolutely speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 2 - _**Crossed Roads**

Amelia stared into the face of a blue-eyed, unmasked Cody Rhodes (Runnels). With her mouth gaping open and her eyes wide, Cody chuckled a bit and broke eye contact looking at the coffee stain on Amelia's shirt. Amelia followed his gaze and released his hand picking up the end of her blouse and surveying the stain for herself. "I'm so sorry," he said once more. Amelia shook her head as she had done before. "It was my fault; don't worry about it," Amelia said quickly while turning her gaze from her stained shirt to the coins on the floor.

"Here, let me make it up to you," Cody said once more as he touched Amelia's hand allowing her to break her gaze from the coins and stare at the crisp 20 dollar bill Cody held. Amelia shook her head once more looking up at Cody. "I'm sorry; I can't take that from you. It's okay; we weren't that hungry, anyways," she said before looking over at her friends. Khaila and Brittany seemed to nod, neither murmuring a word. As for Sonelle, she had been whispering and giggling with one of the other men that had seemed to accompany Cody - Kofi Kingston (Sarkodie-Mensah). Amelia looked back at Cody and continued, "If you'll excuse me, I - I should try and take this stain out." She gave one last gesture - a courteous nod - before attempting to depart to the ladies' room. However, before she'd even made one step towards the door, a hand had seized hers. Amelia gazed back into the face of Cody, watching the smirk play on his lips, "Please, I insist." Amelia could do nothing else but nod. She quickly thanked him and ran off to the lavatory nearly tripping on her feet.

In there, she glanced under the stalls making sure no one else had been there. Once her inspection was complete, confirming that she was all alone, she locked the bathroom's door and pulled her shirt over her head. Amelia pulled brown paper after brown paper from the dispenser, running it under the water and attempting to wash the stain out of her light blue blouse. As she did so, however, her mind wandered. What were the chances of meeting Cody Runnels here, she thought to herself. Well, very good considering that this was the only coffee store that was closest to the arena, she thought once more to herself. She then began to wonder about her friends; she remembered glancing over only to see Sonelle and Kofi already 'clicking'. Amelia smirked to herself thinking of the perfect ways in which to tease her friend about this.

After a few minutes of pondering this surreal situation, Amelia glanced at her shirt; the stain was still there only faded. Sighing, Amelia threw back on her blouse and exited the bathroom. Once outside, Amelia gave a slight jump noticing that both the superstars and friends hadn't been standing around as they once had. Instead, they'd been sitting and conversing rather fondly with each other. On one booth, Khaila and Sonelle sat on one side opposite to Kofi and one of the four others that once sat undisturbed at a table - CM Punk (Philip Brooks). On the booth right behind that, Brittany and three others sat. As Amelia began to notice, however, these 'others' were superstars as well; in fact, sitting at that table was none other than Justin Gabriel (Paul Lloyd Jr.), The Miz (Mike Mizanin), who left a second after Amelia had stepped out of the bathroom, and Heath Slater (Miller).

Amelia continued to gaze at the booths stupefied and in a word … awed at how easily and grandly her friends and the superstars seemed to have gotten along. She had barely even noticed that she'd made her way to the counter where Cody had been standing ordering two cups of warm coffee, until … "Hello," Cody said breaking Amelia's focus and inducing her to face him. Amelia merely smiled and blushed lightly as Cody handed her a cup of coffee. "Would you like to sit over there," he asked indicating the first booth and one furthest away from the others. Amelia nodded and proceeded over to the booth sliding in and sitting in the middle. Cody sat opposite from her and sipped his coffee. Amelia mimicked him hoping that the time spent drinking her coffee would either allow one of two things to happen - Cody to say something to break the awkward silence or give Amelia time to think up something. She was glad, however, when it had been the first.

"Sorry, again," Cody apologized. Amelia smiled and shook her head.

"It's fine. Thank you, by the way," she said raising her coffee cup a bit off the table to indicate exactly what she'd been grateful for.

Cody shrugged, "It was my pleasure." Amelia met Cody's gaze once more as he uttered the last word of the sentence and blushed, quickly directing her eyes outside at the passing cars. "So, uh, what's your name? I'm Cody -" he began before Amelia cut him off in a swift response, turning to face him once more.

"Runnels," she finished, smiling. "I know who you are. I watch you on my T.V. every Friday night. I'm Amelia, by the way, Amelia Rose," she finished. Cody smirked a charming smirk.

"That's a nice name," he commented. Amelia merely smiled as her cheeks reddened once more. "So, do you live here," he asked again.

"I do, actually. My friends and I share apartments uptown," she answered while taking another sip of her coffee. Cody nodded looking down into his cup of coffee. As Amelia watched him, she realized that maybe it had been her turn now to offer some small talk. "Do you guys leave tonight," she asked. Cody looked up brightly gazing directly into her green/grey eyes.

"Not all of us," he paused, taking a sip of coffee and then continuing once more, "most of them do, though. People like Heath, Paul and I don't have to fly in till Monday afternoon, the latest." It was now Amelia's turn to nod and stare down into her cup of coffee. Suddenly, something beeped. Amelia looked up only to see Cody check his phone. Cody, turning his eyes back to her and shifting in his seat so that he leaned forward a bit, continued in a hushed tone, "Listen. I've only just met you, but I would really like to see you again tomorrow. Would it be okay if we grabbed breakfast together," he asked. Amelia could not stop the smile from protruding onto her face while she gave a quick nod. "That sounds very nice," she relayed. Just as she had relayed this, a smile had grown on Cody's face as well.

"Where should we meet," Amelia asked. Cody held up one hand and gave a small smirk before speaking.

"Please, Ms. Amelia," he set down his hand, "it's my way of making it up to you. Allow me to pick you up." Amelia smiled a bit and nodded 'okay'. She excused herself from the booth and went over to the counter. There, she politely asked for a pen, and after being handed one, scribbled the address of her apartment down on a napkin. Amelia set down the pen, thanking the kind employee and headed back to the booth.

As she retook her seat, she slipped the piece of paper to Cody who took it and gazed down at it nodding. "150 West Almond Street, room 4 on the 3rd floor," he read aloud before looking up at Amelia to check if it'd been correct. Amelia, now setting her cup of coffee aside and propping her elbow up on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, smiled and nodded once. And with that, Cody rose with a smile. As Amelia looked around, the other superstars and her friends had indeed risen from their seats too. Imitating their actions, she rose to her feet as Cody put a hand on her back leading her outside to the small parking lot.

Amelia grew nervous with every step hoping she wouldn't trip over her feet. (If it was unclear before, Amelia is a bit of a klutz - just a bit - and has a knack of showing this trait at the wrong sorts of moments.) "Where's your car," a man who stood the same height of Cody, but was of a darker complexion and had short dreads tied back into a ponytail asked. As Amelia looked around, Sonelle pointed it out while Kofi had had his arm completely around her and had been talking and chuckling with her every step of the way. A smirk played on Amelia's face, and trusting that her clumsiness wouldn't kick in, she braved a look back at the rest of her friends. Directly across from Kofi and Sonelle, Brittany, Justin and Heath walked, however, Brittany and Justin seemed to be striking up more of a conversation by themselves leaving Heath to be sort-of a third-wheel. Although Amelia stretched and craned her neck to see where Khaila was, she couldn't see her.

All seven had reached the car. As Amelia unlocked it and reached for the door handle, however, a hand stopped her, opening it for her. Amelia looked up Cody once more and smiled, thanking him. Around them, Heath and Justin had hugged Brittany (Justin giving her a second hug as she was about to step in); likewise, Sonelle and Kofi had hugged; as they pulled away, Kofi seemed to have slipped a piece of paper to Sonelle. Taking it with a grin on her face, Sonelle thanked him and entered the car. Then finally from out of the café, 'the missing two' strolled to the car.

Upon opening the car door for Khaila, he picked her up by placing his hands on either of her sides and placed her in the car before hugging her tightly. Withdrawing from the hug, with smiles plastered on both of their faces, Punk closed the car door. Amelia's cheeks reddened considerably as she looked around at her friends and the superstars' embraces. Amelia, for a long time, had not known what it was like to like a man or to be liked back. The only time I was hugged by a man was by my brother, she thought to herself before looking at Cody. Cody leaned in for a hug, and in a move of panic, Amelia stuck her hand out. Cody left his hands to lower themselves back to his sides before looking curiously at her hand. A handshake, really, he must have thought to himself; nevertheless, Cody's hand met hers and they shook. "I'll see you tomorrow at 9:00am," Cody stated as they released each others' hands.

Amelia looked back and nodded. "Definitely," she said with a smile hoping to comfort the sting of not hugging him. Cody answered back with a slight smile before closing Amelia's car door as she'd gotten in. Amelia waited for the five of them to leave to their vehicle before pulling out of the parking lot and heading back onto the streets. After 25 minutes of utter silence on the car drive to their apartment, the girls' voices rang out in shrieks and squeals just as they'd entered Brittany and Sonelle's apartment.

The girls, having changed into pyjamas and gathered in Brittany's bedroom, immediately began to talk about their day. "Who _knew_ they'd _actually_ be there," Brittany exclaimed as she flopped herself onto the bed. Sonelle, with a toothbrush in her mouth, excitedly said … or mumbled, "Mhm! Ah wha'abou' the way 'ustin 'ooked ah you." Brittany's cheeks flushed a deep red as Khaila and Amelia giggled on the floor at Sonelle's muffled talk and Brittany's reddening cheeks.

"Me," Brittany asked shrugging off the question, "what about the way Kofi and Sonelle were all giggly-giggly." Sonelle opened her mouth and raised her hand as if to say something, but merely made a 'humph' sound and stormed into the bathroom with a slight grin on her face. "And what about you, hmm, Khaila," Brittany persisted throwing a pillow in Khaila's direction. Khaila looked up at Brittany innocently, but Brittany glared back. "You know what I'm talking about," Brittany continued, "you … and Punk … the last ones out of the café." Amelia laughed poking Khaila's rib while Khaila blushed.

"He forgot his wallet, ok," Khaila said hugging the pillow to her chest.

"So, what? You were helping him find his wallet? Is that what you kids call it nowadays," Amelia teased. Khaila glared at her then shoved the pillow towards her. Amelia giggled and threw it back to Khaila. Just then, Sonelle walked out of the bathroom taking a seat on the bed next to Brittany. After her encounter with Kofi today, Sonelle's smile never seemed to fade. "And you, Amelia," Brittany asked.

Amelia merely blushed and hugged her knees into her chest. She didn't wish to discuss Cody; the thought of her merely sticking her hand out for a handshake as if it were some formal meeting made her cringe with embarrassment. The girls went on and on about their day which ended in Sonelle finally relaying that the little piece of paper Kofi had slipped her had quite in fact been his cell phone number. As the girls showered Sonelle in pillows, those of which she threw back at each of them, they each agreed to proceed into their respective bedrooms to catch some sleep. With one last goodbye, Khaila and Amelia made their way into their apartment. Khaila flopped onto her bed and in an instant, fell into a deep sleep. Amelia, however, lay there in bed with her hands resting behind her head still grinning from ear to ear.

She hadn't known what would become of her and Cody nor did she know what would become of her friends and the superstars they seemed to care for. All she did know, however, was that she was very grateful to have crossed roads with Rhodes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 3 - _**Vous et Moi**

At 7:30 am, Amelia's alarmed buzzed inducing the sleeping creature to jump into consciousness. Groaning, she reached the alarm's off button and slid out of the bed. As she trudged on, still half-asleep to the bathroom, she nearly tripped over the bedroom carpet. As she entered the bathroom, she immediately closed the door without bothering to lock it. Why should she? At this time now, Sonelle and Khaila were off to their art classes, and Brittany was still lounged in her bed flicking through T.V. channels.

She quickly stripped down and showered allowing the cold water to rejuvenate her sleeping nerves. In a moments time, she had finished showering and was now in the process of getting dressed. Amelia quickly selected a pair of dark blue skinny jeans along with a white buttoned down blouse leaving the first button open at the top. Amelia glanced back at the clock which now read 8:45 am. Cody would be there at her door any minute now. She hastily slipped on a pair of ballet flats and tied her hair back into a high ponytail. With one last glance at her appearance, she gathered up her phone and purse and headed out to the living room.

Just as she'd rounded the corner to retrieve her keys, she jumped a bit, startled at the fact that the empty apartment was no longer empty. Lounging on the couch in her pink pyjamas, was Brittany who looked up at Amelia curiously. "You look like you've just seen a ghost," Brittany addressed Amelia's startle. Amelia sighed giving a bit of a chuckle as she picked up her keys. "Where are you going," Brittany spoke once more as she lay on the sofa with the remote in one hand and cell phone in the next.

"Out to breakfast," Amelia answered as she walked across the room to the window that overlooked the street directly beside the apartment building. Peering out, she looked for any sign of Cody. "All by yourself," Brittany asked. As Amelia turned around and sat herself down on the couch's arm, she shook her head.

"Not exactly," she began, "Cody's picking me up." That seemed to catch Brittany's attention. She propped herself up on her elbows immediately and looked at Amelia with a grin plastered on her face. Amelia laughed a bit before directing her eyes once more to the window in an attempt to hide any redness that would appear on her cheeks. Just then, there came a knock on the door. In a swift second, Brittany dashed from the room and opened the door. "Oh, you're looking for Amelia? Yes, she's right here," Brittany said as she looked back with a smile. Amelia rose from the couch taking deep breaths as she neared the door.

Standing there tall and handsome was Cody Runnels wearing a light blue polo shirt and dark jeans along with black sneakers. As Cody looked at her, a small smile played on his face. Amelia felt as if her feet had melted, or if not yet they soon would be. "Good morning," he bed Amelia taking her hand and giving it a slight peck. Amelia watched him perform this gesture breathlessly.

"Morning," she let out in more of an exhale. Cody gave a wink to Amelia and courteously nodded at Brittany as both he and Amelia left the building. "Where are we going," she asked as Cody lead her to his car opening the front passenger door for her.

"It's a small restaurant just up here," he said; as Amelia slid in, his gaze fell upon her beautifully long, deep red hair. He gently bit on his lip before releasing it and closed the car door, getting into the driver's seat. Amelia nervously played with her fingers along the car ride looking out at the many stores they flew past. Apparently, Cody seemed to notice her nervousness, for he took one of her hands in his own, running his thumb gently along the back of it. Amelia looked down at their intertwined fingers and suddenly, a wave of cool washed over her. Maybe this wouldn't be _that_ bad.

* * *

><p>At 11:00 am, about five hours since they'd left the apartment, Khaila and Sonelle marched their way out of Golden Light University and toward Sonelle's car. The two girls climbed in with Khaila behind the wheel and Sonelle in the backseat. Just as Khaila had rounded the corner on the way back to the apartment, <em>Metalingus<em> by Alter Bridge had begun to play. Sonelle quickly rummaged through her bag for her ringing cell phone while Khaila hummed along to the song. Finally managing to retrieve it, Sonelle let it ring a bit longer just to hear the ending of the chorus.

A few seconds after, she picked up. "Hello," she stated.

"Hello," a man's voice responded in return. Sonelle immediately recognized it and grinned. The man continued, "So how is Sonelle?"

Sonelle's grin didn't fade one bit, "Sonelle is good, and how is Kofi?" Kofi chuckled on the other end of the phone call.

"He's alright," he paused for a minute and then continued, "My flight leaves at 5:00 pm, and I'd really like for us to spend a bit more time together before that. Is that okay with you?" Sonelle's pupils widened as her heart raced.

"Sure," she said trying not to sound too anxious. "Where should we meet," she asked again as she looked at the time on her iTouch - 11:12am is what it read.

"How about we meet at that café we were at yesterday," he asked while gathering up his car keys and heading into his car. Sonelle, in the meanwhile, looked out the window to see exactly where Khaila had driven so far. Noticing that she hadn't yet made it uptown, Sonelle responded.

"Sure thing; I'll see you then," she said. Kofi smiled on the other end of the call as he proceeded to rev up his car engine and drive to Sonelle and his meeting place.

"You've got it," Kofi added before both had bed goodbye to one another and hung up. With the grin still plastered on her face, Sonelle looked down at her phone still trying to contemplate exactly what had occurred. Snapping back to reality, she threw her phone back into her bag and zipped it up. "Khaila, do you think you could drop me off at that café Amelia had shown us yesterday," Sonelle asked - her brain still filled with thoughts of Kofi and their phone call. Khaila agreed and in 5 minutes, Sonelle found herself at the café's parking lot.

She looked around for any sign of Kofi, there was none - not outside at least. Sonelle, then, proceeded inside when a hand had placed itself over hers on the knob. She looked up at the owner of the hand and smiled as she stared into the face of he whom she was supposed to meet. Kofi smiled back and took her hand then embraced her. Sonelle hugged back utterly awed at the presence of this man she had, for a long time now, been captivated by.

Moments later, they had separated themselves from the hug as Kofi said, "This, um, may sound a bit suggestive, but I assure you, my intentions are not so. Would you like to accompany me back to my hotel suite?" Sonelle looked down at her feet and smiled then looked back up Kofi.

"Sure," she responded with a smile as she continued, "so long as you intend to keep your word about your intentions." A smirk played on Kofi's lips as he nodded. Taking Sonelle's hand in his, he helped her into the car and slid into it himself. After a minutes, the two had made it back into Kofi's suite's living room. The walls were a light brown colour and the furniture, those in the living room at least, were all white. "Take a seat," Kofi said as he gestured to a place on the sofa with his hand. Sonelle blushed and politely took it sliding her bag off her shoulder and onto the floor.

"It's really very nice in here," she commented as she looked around at all the paintings and sculptures that were placed around the suite. From somewhere in the kitchen, Kofi replied, "Isn't it? I have a thing for artwork like paintings and drawings; they're the most incredible things," he paused as he came out of the kitchen carrying two wine glasses and a bottle of wine towards Sonelle before he continued, "well, they are to me at least." Sonelle smiled trying to keep the fan girl inside of her from bursting out and telling him she could paint any and everything he wanted, and she would do it all for free. Managing to keep her calm and cool, Kofi sat beside her. He popped open the bottle of wine and poured a bit into his glass. Just as he was about to take hers, she placed a hand on his. "Um, I don't drink," she said softly with a smile, withdrawing her hand. Kofi set down her glass and the bottle and looked at her.

Sonelle could feel her cheeks reddening. Kofi opened his mouth trying to think of something to say - something that would express his curiosity towards that matter without making her feel as if she were some sort of freak. "You're apart of the, um, edge thing," he asked curiously as he pushed the cork back into the bottle.

Sonelle smiled a bit and nodded, "I'm straight-edge, yes." Kofi nodded obviously interested in Sonelle and what she stood for. For those who don't know, the straight-edge society wasn't only a stable set up in the WWE, but it is a movement. A movement that people follow, and a movement that stands for sobriety and against the use of alcohol, drugs and casual sex.

"That's different," Kofi commented while he took a sip of his wine and turned back to Sonelle. Sonelle's cheeks flushed red once more trying to decipher what kind of 'different' Kofi had meant. Apparently seeing her confusion at his words, he quickly clarified, "A good kind of different." He smiled at her and she smiled back, and in just that moment both Sonelle and Kofi had felt something. Whether it was just a chill from the open window or something much, much deeper than that, there was something there between the two. "Can I offer you anything to drink then," Kofi asked softly as he rose to his feet.

"Depends on what you have," she said with a smile. Kofi took her hand as she rose to her feet as well and they retreated into the kitchen. Opening the refrigerator, Kofi stepped aside allowing Sonelle to have a look. As Sonelle looked from shelf to shelf, she finally spotted something. "Is that ginger ale," she asked. Kofi looked inside the refrigerator, for himself.

"Yes; yes, it is," he answered taking it from the shelf and setting it on the counter. Kofi swiftly grabbed a glass and filled it with ice, pouring in the ginger ale and handing it to Sonelle. Sonelle thanked him and took a sip of it. Kofi then led her back outside to the living room where both had taken their seats on the couch once more. The two talked conversationally about different aspects of each other's lives: for Sonelle, it had been school, art classes and friends and for Kofi, it had been mainly life on the road and management of all outside activities. Finally, something had settled into Sonelle. Mustering up the courage, she asked, "And your wife?"

Kofi, who had raised his glass to his lips, lowered it and stared straight across at the other sofa sitting opposite to the one they were currently on. Realizing that she'd touched a sensitive topic, Sonelle shook her head. "I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, "I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay," he cut her off. He let out a slight sigh and continued, "I, um, was on the road one night, in Florida, and I decided I should drop in and see exactly how she was doing." Kofi paused taking a sip of his wine not breaking eye contact with the sofa he'd originally stared upon. "I called her first, and a, um, a man had picked up," he said with a slight incredulous chuckle as he shook his head. "I dismissed it, though. I trusted her; I assumed that maybe it had been one of her cousins or brothers, so I got there, and she's all by herself. When I asked her about the man who'd picked up the phone, she said she hadn't a clue what I was talking about. I thought perhaps maybe the driving had been getting to me," he paused once more before he continued on, "A month later, I get a call from a doctor apologizing to me because the baby, that had apparently been inside my wife's womb, wasn't mine." Sonelle looked at him compassionately and placed her hand on his once more.

"You don't have to continue, Kofi," she said quietly. Kofi looked into her deep brown eyes taking the hand she'd placed on him and holding it in his own. If Sonelle was not mistaken, what she saw in Kofi's eyes were pools of tears that he'd seemed to be struggling to hold back. Kofi, having felt that she had maybe recognized this, turned away from her gaze. Sonelle looked down at their held hands. Suddenly, Kofi's lips had pressed themselves against Sonelle's - both their eyes fluttering closed. Kofi released her hands as he placed his on both sides of her cheeks. Sonelle, in turn, seized the front of Kofi's shirt tightly. In just that moment, the world seemed to have stood still. All that mattered at this very moment, as far as Sonelle and Kofi were concerned, was just that - Sonelle and Kofi … _Vous et Moi._


	4. Chapter 4

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 4 - _**Fate**

It was now 12:02 pm by the time Brittany had glanced up at the clock once more. Remembering that she hadn't eaten since last night (her stomach growling would serve as a good hint), she grudgingly rose to her feet and trudged toward the kitchen. Peering into the cupboards, she found no traces of food or anything to drink. Perfect, she thought. She made her way to the bathroom of her apartment. There, she showered and changed into jean shorts, a dark purple ruffled blouse and flip flops - attire most suitable for grocery shopping. Making sure that every strand of hair had been in its proper place, she half-smiled at her appearance, picked up her purse and headed back into Khaila and Amelia's apartment. "Khaila," she called as she re-entered the apartment looking around for the car keys.

A faint voice from somewhere in the bedroom called back, "Yes?"

"Where are your keys," Brittany asked once more as she lifted up book after book looking around for them. By now, Khaila had rolled herself out of bed and walked, dragging her feet, towards Brittany. Dropping the keys in the palm of Brittany's hand, Khaila departed the room once more without a word. Brittany watched Khaila drag her feet all the way into her room and shook her head. My friends, she thought as she left the apartment building and slid into Sonelle's vehicle.

In 40 - 45 minutes, Brittany had parked in the parking lot of the supermarket, _Wyde Market_, and stepped out of the vehicle. After making sure her door was locked, Brittany walked purposely inside the supermarket. Picking up a basket, she headed down aisle after aisle looking for something delectable. Moments passed and the only thing Brittany had had in her basket was a box of Lucky Charms cereal. Surely, that wasn't enough. Despite having a flat stomach, Brittany did enjoy food, and lots of it.

Moving along to the next aisle, Brittany solely stared at the shelves half-reading what they said and gliding along. Suddenly, Brittany had collided with something that sent her tumbling back; however, she managed to keep her footing. As Brittany looked up at the person to apologize, her cheeks turned a scarlet red colour. Standing before her, with his hair and beard fixed into a scruff-like manner, was a grocery shopping Justin Gabriel. Stooping down to pick up the items that had fell out of his basket, Justin looked up at her and smiled.

"I-I'm so sorry," she stuttered as she stood there stunned. Justin chuckled and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. At this, Brittany couldn't help but smile. "It happens," he shrugged. Brittany chuckled a bit. "So, is that all you're getting," Justin asked referencing the sole box of cereal she carried in her basket.

Brittany looked down at it then back up at him. "Not exactly," she began, "I'm still looking." Justin nodded. Brittany took the opportunity, then, to look into his basket. There, in his basket, lay several types of cookies, crackers, two packs of bread, a jar of marmalade and a jar of peanut butter. Brittany giggled a bit. "And the peanut butter," she asked.

"Oh," Justin began with a slight chuckle, "Heath wanted me to get him some. Personally," he said in a hushed tone, "I'm not too keen on that stuff." Brittany nodded and muttered a small 'me either'. About a minute had past before Justin had begun again, "Would you mind if we checked these things through and had a brunch - just the two of us?" Brittany stood there mesmerized … and in some way, petrified. Had Justin just asked her what she thought he had?

"Sure; I-I mean, no, not at all," she answered with a nervous smile. Justin shot a smirk at her before escorting her towards the cashier. Apparently, Brittany's search of food had just ended; however, under the circumstances of which it ended, she made no complaints. Justin took his place in line right beside Brittany and even this - just his presence - sent a shiver down her back. As they stepped up to the cashier, Justin placed his hand in the middle of Brittany's back and stretched a hand over hers, stopping her attempt from reaching her wallet.

Bringing his head nearer to hers, he whispered softly into her ear, "I'll pay." Brittany was sure that every organ in her body had stopped its work. Although chills ran through her body one after the other at his words, she couldn't help but feel a warmness inside. As she did the only thing she could've done - nod - Justin withdrew his wallet and quickly paid for both sets of groceries. Brittany looked up at Justin as he looked back down at her. With their eyes meeting, they shared a smile which seemed to last although they'd looked away from each other.

Collecting both bags, Justin lead the way out of the supermarket. "Where's your car," Brittany asked as she looked around the parking lot.

"Oh, it's just Heath in there; don't worry about him. Would you mind if we rode in your car," he asked instead. Brittany giggled at the fact that he was willing to leave Heath here in the middle of the supermarket's parking lot just to have a small brunch with her.

"No problem," she stated as she walked herself over to the car she'd arrived in. Unlocking all the doors, she reached for her door handle. In an instant, Justin had grabbed it and opened the front passenger door for her. Giving him a polite, thank-you nod, Brittany slid in. Justin, in turn, slid into the driver's seat and sped off onto the road. Brittany stared straight ahead at the road that seemed to flash so fast at the way Justin had been driving. "Where are we going," Brittany asked as she looked at Justin who seemed to be focusing on his driving.

Justin glanced at her then at the road and smirked, "It's a surprise." Brittany crossed her arms across her chest letting out a slight 'humph'. "Surprise," she muttered loud enough for Justin to hear. Although she'd felt as if she trusted Justin, she also bore in mind that they'd only met a day before. Where could he possibly be taking her? He merely let out a slight chuckle and proceeded down the street passing one car after the other. Finally, the vehicle stopped. Brittany would've been thrown out her seat, if hadn't been for her seatbelt.

As he made his way around the vehicle, Justin stopped by the trunk taking out the bags of groceries. Brittany peered through her window to catch a glance at exactly where Justin had driven her. Realizing that Justin had purposefully parked in an area surrounded by trees, she gave up trying to look for any clues. Suddenly, the car door opened for Brittany. She cautiously took off her seatbelt and slid herself out of the vehicle. Justin stretched out a hand towards her. Brittany stared hesitantly at it. He chuckled.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said - his South African accent playing on his speech. Brittany placed her hand in his, and he smiled. Leading her past trees and shrubs, they walked on somewhat of a pier - except, this pier was packed… there were rides and an arena?

"The Navy Pier," she said breathlessly taking it all in. Although having lived and grown up in Chicago, Brittany nor her friends had ever ventured this far. They've, of course, heard stories concerning The Navy Pier. The fun that many had, but they hadn't actually been there - except for Brittany, now. Justin looked at her and grinned with a slight dimple appearing near his cheek. "Surprise," he whispered. Brittany looked around at him and smiled.

"This is incredible," she expressed as she looked around at all the carnival rides. Justin, who had been holding her hand, finally spoke for a second time, "Let's eat." Brittany nodded.

In a matter of minutes, Justin and Brittany had found a lovely spot away from all the madness and chaos of screaming children. There had been a picnic table set up beside the ocean. Taking a seat there, Justin unwrapped their grocery packed food and handed a share to Brittany, who sat directly beside him. As they assembled their peanut butter-less marmalade sandwiches, Brittany finally asked, "How'd you decide?" Taking a bite out of his sandwich first, he looked at her confused. "Where to go," she clarified as she too took a bite out of her sandwich, though not as monstrous as Justin had.

Justin smiled having swallowed down his bite, "It just seemed like the right place to be." Brittany smiled back as she swallowed. "You've honestly never been here before," he asked as his arm inched its way around Brittany. Noticing his attempt, Brittany drew a bit closer and shook her head.

"Never," she responded as she looked around at the crashing waves of the ocean. Without even looking, she could feel a smile sprawl across his face. Looking back at him, she was right. There had indeed been a smile etched upon his face. "I'm glad you brought me out here," she finally stated.

"I'm glad I have the opportunity to know you," he whispered softly in her ear. Brittany's cheeks flushed a vague colour of red. As she leaned her head onto Justin's shoulder, with his arms stretched around her, Brittany couldn't help but feel mystified. As both of them gazed at the crashing ocean waves with the wind blowing through their hair absorbing and resting in the peacefulness of each other's presence, both Brittany and Justin couldn't shake the feeling that despite wherever their lives might take them after that - here, right now on this pier together, is where they belonged.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile and during the course of Sonelle meeting Kofi, Cody and Amelia had finally arrived at their destined breakfast place. Amelia, having peered through the window gaped up at the sign that read, '<em>Breakfast Time<em>'. As Cody opened the door for her, extending his hand to her while he was at it, Amelia blushed a vague pink and placed her hand in his. Taking it with a smirk on his face, Cody helped her out of the vehicle and lead her away inside.

_Breakfast Time_ was a rather small restaurant, but nonetheless cosy. With its red and white booths and its quaint garden tables and chairs, it had a vintage look to it. Amelia gazed at the groups of customers gathered at this place - most had been families with small children, others were couples that seemed to be having awkward first dates or (as she saw a couple passionately lip lock) quite a steamy second. Suddenly, a waitress skated by her wearing a peppermint-coloured apron and work suit. Amelia watched as she delivered the tray of food to the family in the last booth.

As the kids hungrily ate up their pancakes, the parents had shared a sweet kiss feeding each other bits of food. Smiling slightly, Amelia turned away and refocused on where Cody had been leading her. In little to no time, this had been revealed. He'd led her to a booth set up on the other side of the restaurant. As she looked around, however, there wasn't any other booth set up on that side. She suspiciously looked at this booth before seating herself in it.

"Don't worry," Cody said softly a smirk playing on his lips, "it won't bite you." Amelia half-smirked and sat down in the booth. Cody mimicked this action and sat down opposite to her. Amelia continued to look curiously at the booth they'd been sitting on. "They say it was a mistake," Cody spoke seemingly answering her questioning thoughts. "The people who built this place accidentally put an extra booth here. Customers line up to get into this booth specifically."

"Surely something else was to be put here though," Amelia stated trying to fathom why people would want to sit in a mistake. Cody smirked.

"Not necessarily," Cody lead on mysteriously. Amelia smirked at his attempt and pursued.

"There must be a reason why people would fight over a mistake," Amelia persisted. Cody's smile grew a bit bigger.

"There is, but it's quite immaterial - a superstition," he continued. Amelia now fascinated with Cody's storytelling leaned forward a bit like a child wanting to know more. "Supposedly, this booth is supposed to bring good fortune, in the form of love, to whoever sits here," he finished. Amelia looked up at him curiously.

"Do you believe it," she asked leaning back in her seat. Cody shook his head placing his hands over Amelia's that'd been set on the table.

"I believe in something a bit different," Cody answered. Amelia blushed lightly and smiled.

"And what's that," she asked.

With his green/blue eyes seeming to have a slight twinkle in them as he stared into Amelia's, he whispered, "_Fate_."


	5. Chapter 5

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 5 - _**Hello, Georgia**

"Fate," Amelia repeated just as hushed as he'd said it. Cody leaned back in his seat and nodded once with a slight smirk. "Such as," she began questioning Cody's answer once more.

"Love," he said once more.

"You mean, when a woman finds a man that she so happens to fall in love with and they call it fate," she asked as she raised one brow. Cody chuckled and leaned forward once more.

"I mean destiny, when two people are destined to be together," he said taking her hands in his once more and rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. Amelia blushed softly as the touch of his hand sent an electric chill down her spine. She looked down at their intertwined hands before continuing the conversation.

"Like Romeo and Juliet," she stated.

"No," he whispered separating one of their intertwined hands and using his index finger to lift her chin up so that she now looked into his handsome blue/green eyes. "Like you and me," he finished. As he'd said this, a warmness seemed to emanate from within her. Her cheeks flushed another colour of pink as she looked away from his gaze and stared down at the booth. Although, Amelia had been entirely tickled-pink about what he'd said about fate and the example he gave, something inside her panicked.

* * *

><p>1:30 pm was what it read on her laptop as Khaila quickly scrolled down the dashboard of her blog looking up every now and then at her T.V. which displayed her favourite show - 'Dragonball Z.' As she sat there cross-legged on her bed, wearing nothing but shorts and a tank top, she distinctly heard a knock, whether it had been on the door or something had merely fallen off a table - a bit of fear came over her. Rising hesitantly from her place on the bed, she checked around the room briefly. Nothing seemed to have fallen off the bed or table or wardrobe.<p>

Suddenly, the knock came once again - this time followed by a shout. Khaila listened intently and turned toward the window. Getting back onto her bed once more, she pushed aside the deep purple drapes and looked down. There, outside the apartment, right below her window was a man who had picked up another pebble in an attempt to bounce it off her window. Finally seeing that Khaila had shown herself, the man smiled. His lip ring following the curve of this gesture.

Up from above, Khaila giggled to herself and pushed up the window, leaning against the windowsill. "Hey," he called loudly with a friendly wave - his sleeve-tattoos half-hidden by his short sleeved shirt. Khaila smiled and waved back at this pierced and tattooed being - CM Punk. "Can I come up," he spoke once more. "I've got food," he said referencing the bag he'd seemed to be carrying in his other hand.

"Sure," Khaila called back. In an instant, Punk smiled and raced inside the apartment. Khaila smiled and quickly shut her window pulling the drapes back over it. Closing her laptop and racing into the bathroom, she quickly combed her hair. Just then, a knock resounded through the apartment building. Khaila bit on her lip and set her comb down anxious about this surprise visit. Skipping toward the door, she finally pulled it open only to find a very handsome-looking CM Punk stand there with a half-smirk on his face. Khaila blushed as he embraced her immediately. She hugged back and they pulled away.

"I brought food," Punk said with a smile. Khaila laughed and took the bag from his hand. Bringing it to her face, she sniffed its contents. All she could smell was noodles and rice. Lowering the bag once more, she looked at Punk who seemed to be quite fascinated with looking around the apartment. "Am I allowed to go into your room," Punk asked as he picked up a figurine set on the shelf above the T.V. Khaila blushed and chuckled a bit.

"I guess," she said hesitantly. Punk smiled and placed the figurine back into its place and placed his arm around her waist. Khaila led him into the bedroom she'd shared with Amelia. "Excuse the mess," she apologized glancing over at the over-turned comforter on her bed. Punk shook his head and shrugged it off sitting himself on the end of Khaila's bed watching her as she climbed onto the same bed and sat cross-legged. Khaila tried desperately to loose the knot on top of the bag to no avail.

Punk smirked and ripped a hole through the plastic bag in one swift movement. Taking out a Chinese takeout box and chopsticks, he handed it to Khaila. Khaila smiled and thanked him opening it with ease and immediately using her chopsticks. Punk followed this action and they both divulged themselves in Chinese takeout. As the meal progressed, Khaila had found herself closer to Punk both emotionally and physically. As they dropped both their empty takeout containers on the floor along with their chopsticks, Khaila found herself with her head on Punk's chest as they'd both leaned themselves against the headboard of her bed watching cartoons.

With Punk's arm around her, Khaila couldn't help but have a permanent smile on her face and an infinite amount of chills that flowed all through her body. "Hey," Punk finally spoke, this time in a whisper. Khaila looked up at him curiously - still, the smile remained. Punk smiled back down at her and leaned in closer. His eyes shifted from her eyes to her lips then finally refocusing on her eyes once more, biting his lip letting it slip slowly from the clutches of his teeth.

Khaila found her eyes mimicking Punk's, but instead of stopping at his eyes … they stopped at his lips. She could see Punk's lips draw closer to hers, and for a moment she felt as if she were paralyzed from the face down (not that it bothered her). His lips were now a sole inch away from hers. She could feel his breath warmly blanket her lips. Her hand slid its way slowly up his chest and onto her shoulder as his relocated itself onto her face.

Their lips gently brushed one another's before … there'd been a loud jangle of keys and talking. Khaila jumped back at the sudden disturbance of the peace. Looking back at Punk and giving him an apologetic smile, she rose up off the bed and glanced down the hall. All she'd seen was the door open. "H-Hello," Khaila called suspiciously and a bit fearful. She crept slowly down the hall before a familiar face had shown itself. Her long, flowing, deep red hair had been out of her high ponytail, and both Cody and her had been moving about the kitchen.

"Hi," Amelia greeted Khaila as Cody waved. Khaila politely waved at Cody and glared at Amelia. Really, she thought to herself, you really had to show up _now_? Amelia, however, failed to notice this. Just then, another body had emerged out of the hallway. Punk placed his arm around Khaila's waist and jumped back a bit looking at Cody and Amelia.

"You're here again," he asked Cody. Cody half-smiled.

"I was invited," Cody clarified before turning to Amelia who'd been silently giggling.

"As was I," Punk spoke up as he held Khaila closer to him.

"Right, well, Punk, this is Amelia - my roommate," said Khaila trying somehow to mend the awkwardness and tension between him and Cody.

Amelia looked back at Punk. They'd awkwardly locked eyes giving no other sign of greeting each other before looking away. Khaila looked up at Punk who kept a straight face and kept staring at Cody. "Are you okay," Khaila asked softly taking hold of the hand that had been around her. Punk seemed to snap back into reality. He looked down at Khaila and nodded.

"Oh yes," he smiled, "definitely." Khaila smiled in return once more as she looked at the clock that was hung up in the kitchen. Punk and Cody seemed to follow her gaze; the clock read precisely 4:09pm. Khaila watched as Cody turned to Amelia, whispering something into her ear. Apparently, it was to her displeasure as she had expressed a slight frown. Cody half-smiled hoping that this half-smile alone would repair any damage done. Amelia seemed to half-smile back if only out of courtesy.

In a moment's time, Cody and Amelia had announced their departure and left the building. Khaila looked back at Punk who seemed to be thinking about something rather hard. "You're not okay," Khaila stated as she crossed her arms looking up at him. "What's wrong," she asked sympathetically. Punk chuckled a bit at the sight of Khaila folding her arms at him, and shook his head.

"Nothing, it's nothing," he said while he placed both his hands in his pockets.

"Punk," Khaila said looking him in his eyes, "you can tell me." Finally giving in, Punk sighed a heavy sigh and placed his hands on either of Khaila's shoulders.

"I'm supposed to leave today. I'm supposed to be meeting with some WWE execs in Connecticut," Punk relayed. Immediately there was a change in Khaila's expression. The happiness and smiles that'd seemed to be there had faded into a slight frown. One that Amelia had exemplified. "Exactly," he continued, "and that's why I don't want to leave." Khaila looked down at both their feet, thinking. She'd loved for him to stay as to know Punk a bit more than she already had, but she also wanted to be able to cheer for him whether it be at a live show (if they were lucky) or in the comfort of her apartment.

"But you have to," Khaila finally said as she looked up at Punk. Punk looked at her confusedly.

"And leave you here," he asked rhetorically. "No, I won't."

"I won't be _all_ alone, Punk," Khaila corrected with a slight smile hoping that maybe that'd show him he could leave without her falling into some manic depression. "I'll be able to watch you again if everything runs smoothly with the execs." Punk sighed once more and folded his arms thinking. Would he stay to get to know this girl that he'd grown so fond of, or would he go to pursue what he loved doing - wrestling?

* * *

><p>In about half-hour, all four couples had arrived at the airport. With Kofi and Sonelle leading the group, Punk, with a small duffel bag he carried on his shoulder, placed his arm around Khaila once more and followed Kofi and Sonelle up to the gate. The flight that Punk's almost-trashed ticket had been for, was the exact same one of the other three men. The only difference would be that when they'd arrived at Baltimore International Airport, Punk would then take another flight to Connecticut.<p>

Punk and Khaila had seated themselves near the desk where the employees stood chatting about their personal lives … and that of their co-workers'. Kofi and Sonelle had located themselves about three rows back from Punk and Khaila, whereas Justin and Brittany had been surveying the stack of books by a bookstand just across from the gate. Amelia looked around at all her friends thinking of how perfectly they'd seemed to have bonded with the superstars. It was chilling, actually. "Are you cold," Cody asked directing Amelia's thoughts back to him.

Amelia smiled and slid her hand up and down her forearm. "Just a bit," she relayed. Cody stepped closer and extended an arm around her. Amelia looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks," she expressed as they stood in front of the rather large window looking out at the planes taking off and those arriving. Cody seemed to move a bit closer to her. As he did so, he tilted his head towards her. Amelia looked up at him ogling at his lips a bit then looking up into his beautiful green/blue eyes. "Listen," he whispered, "I want you to have this." He reached into his pants pocket and unfolded an envelope. Amelia turned it over and over in her hands trying to find a clue as to what it was; to no avail, she looked at the very blank envelope and then at Cody.

"What is it," she asked with a smile turning the envelope once more in her hands.

"Something that I hope you'll enjoy," Cody answered with a sly smirk. Amelia giggled as she tucked away the envelope inside her pocket.

"All passengers boarding Flight 0657 to Baltimore, Maryland please form a line in front of the passageway," announced the airport employee. At this point, everyone in the gate had stood up. Punk and Khaila had embraced tightly as Punk placed both his hands on her cheeks giving her a peck on the nose before he slid away to the passageway. Kofi and Sonelle had fully lip locked in the most loving way, then pulling apart as Kofi stepped through the passageway. Brittany and Justin hugged tightly as Justin landed a quick kiss on her forehead before he too departed.

Cody and Amelia embraced each other. As they'd pulled away, Cody'd taken one of her hands and looked into her eyes for the last time, as far as they were concerned. He gently placed a kiss on her cheek before whispering in her ear, "Read it." Amelia looked at him and nodded. Cody faced her one last time before giving her a half-smile and heading for the passageway.

"Cody," Amelia's voice called from behind. Cody stopped in his tracks and turned towards her. She took a deep breath inconspicuously. "I'll miss you," she stated. As she did so, tears had begun to form in her eyes. Cody smirked and made his way over to her once more. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek gently once more.

"I'll miss you too," he whispered. Amelia watched him as he stepped through the passageway giving one last wave. The four friends had gathered at the big window that Cody and Amelia had previously stood at. After a few minutes, the plane had taken off. The girls stood there side by side as they watched four men they'd each grown fondly of glide away not knowing when they'd see them again.

Climbing into Sonelle's car, which Brittany and Justin had used to ride in, the four girls travelled back to their apartments. As Amelia began to gaze out the window, however, she reflected on the day that'd passed. Meeting the superstars, they'd just been watching on T.V., having memories with these superstars that they swore they'd never let each other forget - it all had seemed so surreal. Dreamlike.

In about another half-hour, they'd reached their apartments. This time, they'd gathered in Amelia and Khaila's bedroom. After a bit of discussion and teasing, the girls agreed to order a pizza that they'd all indulge their sorrow in. Moving out into the kitchen, Khaila and Amelia sat on the bar stools around the counter while Brittany and Sonelle walked out patiently waiting for the pizza. Suddenly, Amelia had remembered something. The note! She gasped aloud and fled from the kitchen heading straight for the hamper in the bathroom. Searching in her old jeans, she withdrew it and forced open the envelope. Removing one content at a time, she removed a long, white, piece of paper that'd been folded.

As she quickly unfolded it, she read it to herself:

_Amelia,_

_I'm so sorry that our time to get to know each other had to be so short-lived, but this is the meaning of my letter. I want to get to know you. I want you to come with me. Enclosed there in the envelope are 4 tickets, two for each of your friends including yourself. There are two tickets for Smackdown and two tickets for RAW. _

_I truly hope that we see each other again. _

_Cody._

Amelia read and re-read the note several times before actually catching the gist of it. She was still in awe of the fact that Cody had written this himself … for her. She'd never had someone do this for her before; then again, Amelia hadn't exactly had a boyfriend - or anything like it. With her cheeks blushing, her heart raced with an intensity like never before. She looked into the envelope and there they were … 4 tickets.

Setting both the envelope and letter under her pillow, she walked back outside with the four tickets behind her back. "Girls," Amelia began. Her friends all looked at her curiously. "How do you feel about a trip," she asked once more standing in front of them rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Where," Khaila asked with a hand over her stomach indicating that she was indeed hungrier than she had been before.

"Hmm… Atlanta, Georgia," she finally stated pulling the four tickets from behind her back. The girls instantly shrieked as each one grabbed their own individual ticket. Not bothering to ask how or why, they merely accepted the tickets and poured tall glasses of soda, those of which they toasted with. All were merely caught up in the moment of realizing they'd be seeing their superstars again.

However, what neither of the girls had known was that it's true what they say about the WWE - it's not a place a for friends.


	6. Chapter 6

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 6 _- **And So It Begins**

The days passed, each one bringing both anxiety and anticipation. Pooling together their money, the girls had successfully purchased their airplane tickets in advance awaiting that one precious day, Monday, when they'd leave to reunite themselves with the superstars they'd seemed to have got on so magnificently with. As the day approached, however, there were other things that troubled the situation other than packing space.

"Amelia," shrieked Khaila from the bedroom. Amelia, who had been scavenging the fridge for food, suddenly looked up.

"What," Amelia inquired alarmingly. She hurriedly closed the refrigerator door and raced down the hall into the bedroom. Opening the door to the bedroom, she found Khaila sprawled across her bed while a bag of chips lay opened on the floor. Khaila looked at Amelia and opened her mouth to speak while holding a piece of paper above her head. Amelia's eyes widened as she recognized the piece of paper. "Wh-Where'd you get that," she asked making her way slowly over to Khaila's bed.

Khaila looked at it nonchalantly, "It was under your pillow. When you were packing, it fell, and I picked it up."

"Khaila," Amelia began slowly, "give me back the paper." She held open her hand. Khaila hadn't seemed to take notice to it, and continued reading the note. Amelia attempted to snatch it out of her hands, but Khaila, in a reflex, moved it away from Amelia's snatching hands. "Khaila, you're going to wreck it, please," Amelia said calmly once more holding open her hand.

At this point, Khaila stood on her bed so that she now stood taller than Amelia. "No, at least let me read it," Khaila stated. Amelia reached for it once more and failed all the same. Khaila cleared her throat, "_Amelia, I'm so sorry that our time to get to know each other had to be so-"_ Amelia, her cheeks a brilliant scarlet red, had managed to grab on to piece of the paper. "-_I want to get to know you_," Khaila continued.

"Give it back," Amelia yelled as she tried yanking it out of Khaila's hands. In an instant, their struggling to pry the paper away from each other resulted in a splitting sound. The paper had been completely torn in half. Amelia's mouth gaped open as she stared at the ripped letter. Khaila sank down onto the bed once more.

"We can tape it," she whispered quietly. Amelia merely nodded and collected both pieces of the letter placing it back into the envelope and away in her suitcase. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to read it," Khaila said softly as she inched her way out of the room. Amelia closed her eyes and sighed. She didn't have the energy to be mad at Khaila. Even if she wanted to, it'd been a mistake, right? Amelia shook her head and attempted to clear all remembrance of what'd recently happened from out of her mind.

She instead focused on the day ahead. Tomorrow, Monday, she'd finally get to see Cody again, and this made her beam with happiness.

* * *

><p>Morning dawned, not a moment too early to the girls. Each had been eagerly anticipating their flight to Atlanta. Therefore, it was no surprise that the moment the airplane had touched down in Atlanta, the girls were pushing through the crowd to quickly grab their luggage and proceed to the hotel they'd booked. As they were about to step through the doors of the airport to catch a cab, a hand had caught Amelia's.<p>

Turning around with such suddenness that it'd alerted the girls, they turned around too. Standing there, before her, was a hooded Cody Runnels. Amelia smiled a great smile; leaving her suitcase to fall, she flung her arms around him just as he had. "Come on," he whispered noticing her friends' gazing at the embracing two. "The car's right outside," he said a bit louder; the three girls looked around at each other then raced outside. Could there be _more_ surprises at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport?

Amelia and Cody pulled away from their embrace both sharing a smile. As Cody pulled Amelia's suitcase outside where all the cars and buses had been lined off, they watched as the other girls reunited themselves with the individual superstars who'd accompanied Cody in a black Mercedes. Kofi and Sonelle had embraced warmly and pecked each other on the lips between sentences.

Brittany and Justin had also embraced each other neither seemed to have let up on their hold - their heads buried in each other's neck. Punk and Khaila, on the other hand, had already seated themselves in the car where Punk had his arm around her. The two conversed fantastically about comics. Their way of saying 'I missed you', Amelia supposed. "Are you coming," a voice chimed in. Amelia gave a little shudder as she snapped herself back into reality and looked at Cody who'd now been heading towards the car.

"Oh, yeah," she said as she joined him and the rest of the group. Once the girls' suitcases had been loaded and all had piled into the car, they were off to their first destination - the girls' hotel.

"So where are you girls staying," Kofi asked while his and Sonelle's fingers had been intertwined.

"Erm, Castleberry Inn & Suites," Amelia piped up as Cody stretched his arm around her. "Should be 4 blocks away from the Dome." Amelia noticed Justin give a slight nod as he spun the car in an almost James Bond-like fashion and swerved onto the next street. Justin and Brittany had sit up front, Justin taking the wheel (whose bright idea was that?).

Although his driving may have been questionable, the girls and the superstars had arrived at the hotel about 15 minutes earlier than expected. With the men willingly taking the suitcases from the trunk and lugging it behind the girls, Amelia and Brittany checked in with the concierge. Upon calling up the reservations and informing them about the hotel's lounge/bar and restaurant as well as its free Wi-Fi, the concierge gave a polite yet rehearsed smile as she handed both Brittany and Amelia four keys.

The group had boarded the elevator 4 by 4 and reached floor 5. Stepping off, they proceeded down to the rooms inscribed on their keys - 539, 546, 558 and 520. The group soon parted ways and proceeded to their individual rooms. Amelia and Cody walked briskly down the hall towards room 558 with him still lugging the suitcase behind. As they finally arrived and the lock clicked open allowing them to step into the comfortable suite, Amelia and Cody let out a sigh of relief. The most difficult part of the journey had been completed.

Amelia looked around at Cody who seemed to have seated himself on the couch and flicked on the T.V. He apparently had no intention of leaving - not anytime soon anyways. Closing the door and locking it, Amelia made her way over to the couch. Cody looked up at her and in one swift movement had her seated on his lap. Her cheeks blushed a brilliant red as he held her close. "You don't mind if I stay awhile do you," he asked in more of a whisper. Unable to speak due to the closeness of their faces, Amelia shook her head. She watched his lips curve into a smirk then slip under his teeth only to be released a second after.

Amelia's eyes wandered up to his blue/green ones who seemed to be gazing back into hers. Almost as if they'd known each other's next move, both their eyes had either closed or marvelled at each other's lips that drew distinctly nearer to one another. With their lips nearly succumbing to one another's, a sudden ring was heard. Amelia jumped at the sound that seemed to invade their silence. Rising to her feet, she walked over to the source of the ringing that seemed to have resonate from the bedroom that was immediately connected to the "living room"; it had been the hotel room's phone. Picking it up, she gave a breathless hello - still intoxicated by the almost-kiss she shared with Cody.

"Hello," a woman spoke, "I'm sorry, but we forgot to ask if you will be needing anything immediately - brochures, food, towels?"

"Oh, no, thanks," Amelia stated as she looked back at Cody who was lounged back on the couch flicking through the channels at an incredible speed. A smile had spread across her face as she continued to say, "everything I need is here."

* * *

><p>"Are you ready for tonight," Sonelle asked brightly as both Kofi and her sat back on the bed watching the characters on the T.V. move across the screen - his arm placed around her and her head on his shoulder.<p>

"Oh definitely," Kofi responded in a recognizable eagerness. Sonelle had known that whether win or lose, if there was a man on the roster who just enjoyed being in the ring, it was Kofi, and she liked that - no, _loved_ that. She gave a smile that he returned and turned her gaze to the T.V. - half-watching, half-thinking. "You'll be there tonight," Kofi began, "so that just gives me an extra boost of confidence, you could say."

Sonelle looked up at him and smiled once more. "Well, I'm glad, but in all honesty, the pleasure is all mine," she stated with the smile unable to move from her face. Kofi chuckled as he flicked off the T.V. only to stare into her deep brown eyes. Placing a hand on her cheek, both Kofi and Sonelle's lips had succumbed to one another's. As their lips moved slowly against one another's at first, speed surely picked up as well as passion. The kiss had intensified with both holding onto each other lovingly - Sonelle's hands had placed themselves onto his shoulders as his placed themselves on her back.

As the kiss continued, it eventually slowed. Both their lips had been separating from each other's as their eyes had begun to flutter open once more. As both their cheeks reddened a bit, their foreheads leaned against one another's looking into each other's eyes. Just from this, both Sonelle's and Kofi's uncertainties, whatever they may have been, had disappeared, for they were sure of one thing - the way their eyes locked onto each other's was the most beautiful thing that either of them had ever experienced.

* * *

><p>"Darling," Justin called throughout the hotel suite as he laid himself down on the couch outside.<p>

"Getting dressed, Just," Brittany called back from the bedroom. Justin couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice.

"Oh okay," Justin responded as he stared up at the ceiling with his hands placed on his stomach. A few minutes after, Brittany had stepped out of the bedroom wearing blue jeans, a very flattering deep purple shirt and black ballet flats. Justin immediately propped himself up on his elbows as he gazed up and down at Brittany's attire. He looked up at her with a smirk pasted on his face. Brittany blushed as she playfully tugged at his shoes. "So I take it you're ready," Justin asked as he stood up off of the couch.

Brittany gave a nod and reached for her purse carrying it in her hand. With Justin opening the door and closing it behind them, both Brittany and Justin headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant. As Justin asked the host for a romantic table for two, the host immediately nodded and sent for a waitress to lead them to the reserved table. Brittany looked around at the restaurant. It was quite a nice one. With tables table-clothed in elegant crème linen and its chairs magnificently carved out of a deep dark brown wood, it was exactly the kind of restaurant Brittany enjoyed. The waitress continued to lead them past several tables of customers dining together. She finally stopped outside at the lone table that had been set up with a view of the hotel's garden as well as the magnificent sunset. Justin pulled out the chair for her allowing her to sit herself down as he pushed her in. He, then, sat down opposite from her.

"Good evening, sir and madam, my name is Olivia, and I'll be your waitress," she announced as she laid the menus on the table - one in front of Brittany and the other in front of Justin. Taking it in their hands, they roamed through the dinner specials quickly and immediately decided. "May I take your orders," she asked politely once more.

"I'll have the steak, please," Justin ordered as he set down his menu before continuing, "and a glass of wine."

"I'll have the George's Pasta and a glass of coke," Brittany, in turn, ordered. The waitress nodded as she hastily scribbled their orders down on her notepad. Giving one more courteous smile, she departed. Brittany set her hands on the table as she looked out at the beautiful garden that seemed to be romantically illuminated by the setting sun. Suddenly, she felt two more hands hold hers. As she looked down at the table once more, she'd noticed that Justin's hands had also made their way onto the table and caressed hers in his.

The both of them had given each other a warm loving smile before looking out at the magnificent orange sky. "It's beautiful," Brittany commented absolutely awed.

"Yes," Justin spoke in a lower tone, "yes, you are." As he finished, both their eyes had locked onto each other's. With Brittany's cheeks reddening, they shared another loving smile between each other.

* * *

><p>As the minutes and the hours passed, both Punk and Khaila and Sonelle and Kofi were getting ready to head to the Georgia Dome for Monday night RAW. Although Punk wasn't necessarily supposed to be there, he didn't quite care. He was going to show up there if he wanted to, and that's that. The two couples entered the arena. With tickets in hand, Sonelle and Khaila bed farewell to their superstars and took to finding their seats. Cody had done an exceptional job at ticket buying as their seats were the closest to the barricade.<p>

The two girls talked excitedly about finally being able to see the show, and the fact that both their superstars were going to participate at some point or the other in this show. As the missile pyrotechnics went off and _Burn It To The Ground_ by Nickelback resounded through the arena, it was final - Monday night RAW had started. The show progressed with several speeches from superstars looking for a push as well as a match between the divas. Although they had announced that Kofi was to be in a match tonight, there was no mention of Punk.

Khaila sat in her seat most of the time only rising when someone's music had hit only to see if it were Punk then sitting back down as soon as she discovered this wasn't so. Sonelle on the other hand had been full of life throughout many of the matches even to the point of chanting along with her fellow fans. Finally, it had been Kofi's match. Sonelle screamed extra hard as the man wearing a bright green trunks had hopped his way down the ramp and into the ring. As he stood on the turnbuckle doing his signature 'taunt' as they called it, he gave a slight nod in the direction of Sonelle. Her cheeks blushed a bright shade of pink as she watched Kofi pace back and forth ready for his opponent.

There had been a pause before the music had hit. Khaila stood up leaning over the barricade to see if she could catch a glimpse of the superstar with the mysterious new song. No one had entered onto the stage yet. Suddenly, there came a pop from the audience as a man in a white t-shirt with his symbol - a taped hand with an X over it clutching onto a lightning bolt - had entered onto the stage. Khaila's heart raced as she cheered just as loudly, if not louder, than the fans around her. She watched as he slowly made his way to the ring with the WWE championship that he'd won at Money In The Bank and looked out into the audience with a slight smirk.

The bell had rung, and Khaila looked at Sonelle as Sonelle, in turn, looked at Khaila. Realizing that Kofi would either gain a win or lose to CM Punk and vice versa, the two girls said no words to each other, but cheered harder than anyone else in that arena for their superstars.

With this match in the making and both the men that they had come to care for more than just an ordinary fan would, the girls' tempers rose as the superstars either reversed a move, countered it or kicked out. With the two yelling chants against one another's superstars, it was concluded. _It had begun_.


	7. Chapter 7

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 7 _- **A Beat And A Breath**

The match had finally concluded with Punk picking up the win, just as many in the crowded expected him to. Khaila cheered as Sonelle stood there with her arms crossed watching Punk soak in his glory. Noticing Sonelle's posture, Khaila thought it better not to mention the match after that. As the night continued and RAW had come to a finish, Khaila and Sonelle quickly retreated up the steps of the arena and outside to the parking lot awaiting their superstars.

Neither Sonelle nor Khaila had spoken a word to each other. Suddenly, two men walking towards them greeted them with warm hellos. Kofi and Sonelle had hugged lightly before stepping into their car and driving away to her hotel. Punk had picked Khaila up in his arms and kissed her full on her lips. Although shocked and stunned, she kissed back all the same. With their lips moving against one another's in a passionate and fiery way, Khaila could feel chills work through her body.

Pulling away from the kiss, Punk had eagerly gotten behind the wheel of his car as Khaila seated herself in the passenger's seat. They sped off onto the road with Khaila looking curiously out the window. Punk seemed to be quite content with himself after picking up that victory, Khaila thought to herself. While continuing to stare out the window, she'd noticed they'd completely passed Castleberry Inn & Suites. Khaila looked toward Punk who seemed to bare a smile on his face as he continued driving past the hotel. "Um, Punk, you missed it," Khaila stated. A smirk played on his lips now.

"No, I didn't," Punk corrected her. Khaila's brow furrowed as she spoke once more.

"Yes, you really did." She looked back at the Castleberry Inn & Suites hotel that seemed to have grown tinier and tinier as they sped down the streets of Atlanta. Punk, with the smirk still apparent on his face, shook his head. Khaila raised one eyebrow and gave up. Apparently, Punk had plans of his own tonight.

She continued to look out the window for a clue as to where Punk may be taking her. They passed restaurants and bars and clubs but stopped at neither. So, if they hadn't been going to dine out or dance, where would they go? Punk finally stopped the car and got out opening Khaila's door for her. Khaila stepped out into a parking lot of some sorts. She looked around curiously. Without a word, Punk had taken Khaila's hand and lead her away inside the nearby building. As they walked in, Khaila recognized it to be a hotel - one much more developed than Castleberry's that was for sure.

"Come on," Punk whispered lowly in her ear as they walked briskly into the elevator. By now, Punk had slipped his hand over to her waist. Managing to quickly enter Punk's suite, 1568, Khaila stepped back and marvelled at the suite. It had everything. It was homey and cosy. This is comfort, she thought to herself. Suddenly two arms managed to wrap themselves around her from behind. As he lowered his face just between her jaw and shoulder, Khaila tensed up. She could feel his breath against her neck.

His lips gently moved against her neck kissing every inch of it. Her hands slid over his. Pulling one hand from under hers and using only his index finger, he'd managed to slide one of the sleeves of her shirt completely off her shoulder. He kissed her shoulder lovingly as Khaila's eyes fluttered closed. She spun around immediately. Punk had wrapped his arms around her waist as she had wrapped her arms around his neck. The two kissed passionately as Punk's tongue intruded her mouth. As he raised his arms, Khaila instinctively lifted his shirt off his body now revealing his chest piece tattoo.

Both Punk's hands had held onto both of hers as he walked backward into the living room of the suite. The lovely white sofa now seemed inviting to both of them. Punk and Khaila's lips had once more succumbed to each other's. With the intensity of the kiss increasing, both found themselves chest to chest mimicking each other's intake of breath. Punk's hands had found their way to the bottom corners of her shirt. Lifting it up slowly, he successfully pulled it off of her slender body. In a moment's time, pillows and clothes had been thrown onto the floor. As the exhausted couple lay on the sofa, Khaila's head rested itself on Punk's naked chest his breathing and the perfection of this moment lulling her to sleep.

* * *

><p>Sonelle had been folding up her Monday night RAW attire and stuffing them into her suitcase. Dressed in her pyjamas, she looked across at a sore Kofi who managed to lift himself off the bed and wrap his arms around her. "How do you feel," Sonelle asked softly with a smile on her face as Kofi pecked her cheek once.<p>

"Sore," he stated with a chuckle, "but that comes with the job." Sonelle smiled up at him as he smiled back. "I've got plans for us tomorrow," he whispered in her ear before giving her a peck on the lips once more. He released his arms from around her giving her the chance to face him. As he held both her hands, he quickly pecked her on the lips. Sonelle's breathing calmed as she seemed to be soothed by Kofi's kiss.

"What kind of plans," she asked looking up into his eyes. Kofi smirked.

"I can't tell you that," he answered as he held her closer. Sonelle smiled. As much as she hadn't liked surprises, she was excited for this one. As he planted one more kiss on her lips, he loosened his arms from around her. "I'll call you tonight," he told her in a whisper as he leaned his forehead against hers.

Sonelle gazing down at his lips gave a slight nod. She saw him smirk as the two lip locked for another second before pulling away. As the two held hands walking to the door, Sonelle opened it and Kofi stepped through. "Good night," Sonelle whispered to him as he embraced her lovingly in his arms. Kofi gave a slight smirk and kissed her forehead as he bed her good night. Kofi turned and limped a bit down the hall way. Watching him go, Sonelle could not help but obtain a smile on her face. There he went, she thought, the man I loved.

It had only been a couple of hours until Sonelle's cell phone had rung. The _Metalingus_ song resounding through the quiet suite. She picked it up hastily. Before she could've even given a hello, the man on the other line had chimed in, "Hello, love." Sonelle then gave her hello and the two talked for hours about a variation of topics. It went from wrestling, to countries, to jobs to … themselves. "Sonelle," Kofi had spoken his voice getting groggier as the time progressed.

Only half-awake, Sonelle responded, "Yes?"

"I love you," he said. An electric current seemed to have run through her as she smiled at the words that had just come out of his mouth.

Laying herself back onto her pillow and closing her eyes, she whispered, "I love you too."

* * *

><p>After an evening of dinner, both Brittany and Justin had been in their suite cuddled up on the sofa watching shows from Monday night RAW to How I Met Your Mother. With Justin's arm around her, Brittany had instinctively leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'll take you to South Africa one day," Justin announced quietly to her as the T.V. continued to be the only light in the room. Brittany looked up at Justin and smiled. A smile also formed on his face as he asked, "Would you like that?"<p>

"I'd love that," Brittany responded. Justin kissed her forehead sweetly inducing her eyes to close for a second. As she reopened them, she stared into brown eyes only a shade lighter than hers. She smiled a great smile as did Justin. With their fingers intertwined, Brittany suddenly realized something, "You'll leave tomorrow." Her face fell as she looked up to Justin.

A small smile appeared on his face, "Not necessarily; we've got shows all week here in Georgia, so I won't be leaving until the Saturday." A smile slowly spread across Brittany's face as she hugged him tightly. Justin chuckled lowly and hugged her back. "I'm taking you somewhere special tomorrow, though," he whispered in her ear. Brittany let out a sigh of comfort. As far as she was concerned, anywhere as long as Justin was there was special to her.

As Justin finally took note of the time, he rose up off of the couch with Brittany's hand in his. "Yeah, it's late," Brittany noted as they'd both walked to the door. As Justin opened it and let himself out, Brittany smiled just mesmerized by the magnificence of this man. All that he'd meant to her as a fan could not match with what he meant to her now. Justin took both of Brittany's hands in his as he stood in front of her. Her eyes wandered up his torso and finally locked themselves onto his eyes.

"I want to ask you something before I leave for the night," he stated. Brittany could feel her heart stop for a millisecond as she replayed the words he'd just spoken in her mind.

"What is it," she asked unconsciously holding her breath preparing herself for whatever Justin was about to ask.

"Well," he said as he looked into her eyes stepping closer so that their torsos had nearly touched, "I've only met you, and I don't want to seem too forward with this, but … well, I know that I'm going to have to leave at one point or the other. It won't be for forever, but it'll feel like it … and, well, I was thinking. I want you to be my girlfriend." A grin spread far and wide across Brittany's face as she nodded vigorously and embraced him tightly just as he'd hugged back. Pulling away, Justin had descended down the hall way and Brittany had cuddled herself in her bed. Justin's girlfriend, she thought, that has a very nice ring to it.

* * *

><p>"Would you show me how to do that," Amelia asked as they discussed RAW. Cody chuckled.<p>

"Do what," he asked trying to clarify what she'd been asking for.

"The GTS," she relayed. Cody looked at her confusedly and then chuckled.

"I can't exactly do that, but I can show you how to maybe knock someone off their feet," he, in turn, answered back. Amelia smiled and rose to her feet. Pushing the coffee table that'd been directly in front of the couch out of the way, she stood in front of Cody.

"Teach me," she requested. Cody smiled.

"Right now," he asked as Amelia nodded surely. "Are you sure," he asked once more as he leaned forward almost out of his seat. Amelia gave a playful glare and took his hand tugging at it in order to pull him up. Cody had finally risen off of his seat on the couch and stood in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders keeping her arms length apart. "Okay, so … we'll circle," he instructed, and both Amelia and him began to walk. They moved in a circular direction. "So, you look at my right leg … when you see an opening for it, you -" he stopped mid-sentence as he'd been taken down in almost an instant.

With him flat on his back and Amelia propping herself up on her hands and knees above him, he gave a slight chuckle, "Good." Amelia smiled as she lay down next to Cody on the floor. Extending his arm around her, she rested her head on his chest and one of her legs over his. He positioned his lips on her forehead, kissing it from time to time. Both took the time to become absorbed in the silence and in each other's presence. Amelia could hear his steady heartbeat as Cody could feel her breathing against his ribs.

"Tomorrow, you will pack," Cody relayed. Amelia looked up at him curiously. "I'll take you somewhere, and you can stay there. Trust me, it's comfier than this place could ever be," he noted. Amelia's brow furrowed as she continued to look at him confusedly. Propping herself up on one elbow, she stared into eyes looking for some sort of answer.

"I assume you won't be telling me where we're going," she added with a smile. Cody chuckled and let his lip slide out from under his teeth before shaking his head. Amelia smiled and shuddered suddenly - finally taking in how cold the suite had actually gotten. A smirk played on Cody's lips. Getting up, he proceeded into the bedroom and minutes later came back out with the sheet that was supposed to cover the bed, in his hands. Amelia giggled. "Cody, what - we could've just lowered the A.C," she stated as Cody had gotten to his knees once more and thrown the sheet over both Amelia and himself sliding underneath. He shrugged.

"There's something about lying down on the floor," he responded with a slight wink. Amelia couldn't help but smirk at his wittiness then assumed the position they'd previous been in. With her head on his chest and his arm around her, neither had said a word to one another. Perhaps tiredness and sleepiness had begun to settle in, or perhaps they'd just been mystified in each other's presence that words hadn't been necessary.

Amelia thought back to what Cody had said … tomorrow, packing, away. Her mind buzzed with possible answers and even more questions until finally, the sound of Cody's heartbeat had penetrated her thinking. His heartbeat was her lullaby as her breathing was his, and after a moment, the sleeping couple on the floor had been lulled to sleep just by the simplicity of a beat and a breath.


	8. Chapter 8

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 8 - _**Home**

Daybreak broke into Amelia's suite lazily. As the sun crept in through the glass of the veranda door, Amelia flinched as the light had caught her eyes. Gently rubbing her eyes, she looked up at Cody who had still been sleeping. She smiled to herself admiring how perfect he seemed. Sliding herself out from Cody's grasp, she pulled down the blinds over the veranda door shutting out any light that had wanted to penetrate the room any further.

Carefully stepping around Cody, she made her way into the suite's kitchen and peered into the refrigerator. "Right, no food," she murmured to herself closing the refrigerator door and seating herself on the barstool. She placed a hand over her stomach as it growled. "Shh," she unconsciously spoke to it as she yawned. Finally realizing that she needed food and fast, she rose up out of the barstool and proceeded into the bedroom.

Once there, she quickly showered and changed into dark blue jeans, a black tank top accompanied by a short blue jeans jacket, as well as black gladiator sandals. Unwilling and downright lazy to deal with her hair, she merely scooped it up and held it back in a loose ponytail. Grabbing her purse, she proceeded towards the door until a voice had stopped her. "Where are we going," spoke a man. Amelia turned around her green eyes fixing themselves on Cody who'd been propping himself up on his elbows.

"To the restaurant," she admitted as she made her way over to him. As he lifted himself up off the ground, Cody stood in front of her.

"Do you mind if I accompany you," he asked as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. Amelia chuckled.

"Let's go," she invited as they both headed off to the hotel's restaurant. As they made their way there, they noticed a considerable amount of people already dining at their tables. Glancing at the clock that hung directly above the buffet table, Amelia had realized that it was now 10:05 am. Cody placed his arm around Amelia's waist as he escorted her to a free table toward the back of the restaurant. As they passed occupied tables, Amelia could hear them murmuring not about the food or service of the restaurant - not even about the customers or guests - but about Cody and herself.

"Mom, that's Cody Rhodes," a little boy whispered to his mother. The lady shushed the little boy as she glanced over her shoulder at Amelia and Cody making their way to their table.

"Hold on, wasn't he dating a girl from the roster," a girl from a group of teenagers who sat right behind the mother and son had chimed in. Amelia's cheeks blushed a vague shade of red.

"What ever did she do with her hair," another teenager from the same group teased. The many stares and whispers had made her antsy for reasons, she, herself, had not known. Finally, and to Amelia's great relief, Cody had pulled out a chair for her at the table. Amelia sat herself down and Cody sat opposite.

"Would you like for me to get the food," Cody asked politely and quietly. Amelia glanced back over her shoulder at the many still staring at both of them. Cody quickly took hold of her hands. "Hey," he whispered softly. Amelia looked over at him. Apparently, the anxiousness had become visible on Amelia's face as Cody rubbed the back of her hands soothingly. "Don't worry about them," Cody continued in his hushed tone.

"I don't know why it's bothering me; the whispering and the staring just," Amelia tried to explain before a shudder came over her. Cody sensing her discomfort picked up both her hands and brought his lips to them kissing them sweetly.

"We don't have to stay here," he finally whispered. Amelia looked up at him. "Let's pack up and leave, and then we can order something from somewhere else," he stated with a slight smile. Amelia merely nodded - her mind set adrift induced by the murmurs. Cody gave her hands a confident squeeze as both of them rose up from the table and strolled back to her hotel suite. "Are you ok," Cody asked as Amelia seated herself on the bed with her suitcase laid open beside her.

She looked up at him, "Hm? Oh, yeah." In all truth, she hadn't been alright. She didn't know what came over her in the restaurant downstairs, and most of all, she'd felt ultimately embarrassed at the fact that Cody had seen her like that. She slowly packed up everything she had placed in the hotel's drawers.

"Amelia," Cody spoke her name. Amelia looked back at him for one second then resumed her packing. "Amelia, look at me," he spoke once again. She ignored him all the same. Her cheeks were flushing red as she mentally replayed the incident in the restaurant. How she must've seemed to him, she thought. She couldn't face him now, not right now. She needed time to wallow in her embarrassment so as to forget it, or attempt to, later on. Cody, however, was persistent; His arms wrapped themselves around her from behind taking both her hands and holding them in his. "Amelia," he whispered once again. She turned her head slightly in his direction. "It's ok, you know," he stated comfortingly.

"No, it really isn't," she admitted. "I should've never … I don't know what came over me, and I apologize if I looked like a … a freak. I just," she paused, her mind placing itself in a tizzy as she tried to explain. "I don't know," she finally relayed. Cody turned her around so that she faced him. She placed her hands on his chest as his hands relocated themselves to her back. Looking up into his mesmerizing blue/green eyes, all worry seemed to melt away.

"You're the most wonderful thing that I've ever laid my eyes on. I love all your quirks and your clumsiness," he spoke softly. "You didn't look like a freak back there; you looked exceptionally normal," he whispered. Then corners of Amelia's lips pulled themselves into a bit of a smile. "Everything about you is … absolutely brilliant," he spoke once more. "And -"

"And you are probably one of the sweetest, most amazing men on this earth," Amelia hastily spoke. Cody's smile appeared softer.

"It's not a matter of being sweet for me. I'm simply telling you what I truly feel," he paused before continuing, "but enough with that; let's get going," Cody stated as he kissed her forehead before releasing her from his grip. Amelia nodded with a smile as she quickly locked and closed her suitcase heaving it off the bed. As Cody and Amelia quickly checked out of the hotel and loaded the suitcase into the cab that they'd hailed, the two set off down the road.

"Will you tell me where we're going," Amelia whispered to Cody in the cab as he had his arm around her. Expecting he'd say 'no', Amelia looked out the window already preparing her mind to wander.

To her surprise, Cody answered, "Yes, in fact, we're going over to the hotel that I'm staying at." Amelia looked back up at Cody; her heart had sunk a little bit. She had expected something maybe a bit more … adventurous; nevertheless, she was with Cody, and that was all that mattered. After arriving at the hotel, Cody paid the cab driver and carried Amelia's suitcase up to his suite. Amelia sat on the couch looking at the T.V. not taking in a bit that had been moving on it. Cody had been in the kitchen, on the phone, and was ordering two chicken cutlet sandwiches for lunch.

Amelia smiled as she listened to his voice. She'd never truly recognized how much she had adored his speech. Glancing out at the window that had been set directly beside the couch, she felt relaxed. Almost as if, just the aloneness with Cody had brought her a little piece of serenity. Whatever it was, she was sure that every ounce of worry had disappeared.

* * *

><p>It had been noon by the time Khaila and Punk had woken up. Khaila quickly scrambled into Punk's shirt that had been under hers and rose up from the sofa. Being the petite girl she was, the shirt covered everything that needed to be. She looked back at the sleeping creature that now lay sprawled on the couch. With her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink, she hurried into the kitchen peering into the refrigerator. There had been two loaves of bread, two packs of bagels and a small container of cream cheese.<p>

Taking out half a bagel from the pack and the container of cream cheese, Khaila quickly toasted the it and smeared the cream cheese on. Just as she was about to turn around to put back everything she'd taken out, she bumped into something. "Hungry," his voice asked groggily. Khaila nodded looking up at a now half-clothed Punk. He smiled and planted a kiss on her cheek as he moved out of her way and made himself a cream cheesed bagel. Khaila had now found her way to the couch sitting cross-legged and flicking through the channels in search for some cartoons.

Punk, after taking a bite out of his bagel, marched off into the bedroom. "Khaila," Punk called from the bedroom. Flicking off the T.V. and setting the bagel down on the small table beside the couch. She rose to her feet and entered into the bedroom. "Yes," she asked. Punk's suitcase had all been packed as if he were about to leave to somewhere. "Wh-Where are you going," Khaila asked unsurely as she stepped closer to the suitcase.

"You mean, where are _we _going," he corrected Khaila as he pulled on his Captain America t-shirt. Khaila raised an eyebrow. Going, she thought, but I've only just got _here_. Punk smiled and then clarified, "For now, we're not going anywhere, not anywhere serious, but we will. Later tonight, perhaps, I'll take you to a little house that a friend had been willing to rent to me." Khaila's brow furrowed even more. A house now?

"Punk, what," she asked confused, "we're going to a house? Why aren't we just going to stay here?" Punk smirked and approached her.

"It would be nice having more nights like, well, last night's without the whole floor listening in," he told her in a hushed tone. "It would especially be useful for someone with lungs like yours," he ended with a wink as he lugged his suitcase behind him. A smirk played on Khaila's lips as her cheeks blushed a bright red. Picking up her clothes from off of the living room floor, she quickly through it on and folded Punk's shirt - handing it back to him. Punk shook his head. "You keep it," he encouraged once checking that everything that needed to be packed had been.

Khaila smiled and held the shirt in her arms. As the two trudged down the hall way, a door had swung open nearly knocking both Punk and his suitcase backwards. Out from behind the door, a red headed and green eyed girl stepped out. "I'm so sorry," she apologized hastily before her eyes had caught sight of Khaila. "What're you -" she stopped mid-sentence only feeling Punk glare at her for holding them up.

"Amelia, are you - What're you doing here," another person had appeared from out of the room - it had been none other than Cody Runnels. Punk cleared his throat distinctly.

"I don't think that's any of your business, frankly. If you don't mind, we're kind of going somewhere," Punk stated holding onto Khaila's hand and placing her before him. Cody raised one eyebrow and nodded unwilling to start something over a mere sentence.

"Well, by all means, carry on," Cody wished in a serious manner

"I intend to," Punk retorted just as seriously. Amelia and Khaila merely exchanged uneasy looks before being pulled off in opposite directions by their men. As Amelia had glanced back over her shoulder, she'd locked eyes with Punk for only an awkward second. Immediately turning around after that, the two couples proceeded down to different ends of the hallways.

* * *

><p>Thoughts of why Khaila had been there dizzied Amelia as she continued to be pulled down to the end of the hallway. "Cody, where are we going," Amelia asked unsurely. All she could see were doors and doors leading to suites and more suites. Suddenly, Cody had come to a stop right outside a room. Amelia looked for the room number on this suite, but no plaque could be found. "Cody, where -" she paused as an elderly-looking man stepped out from behind the door.<p>

Amelia's eyes widened as she had immediately recognized exactly who it had been. "Dustin," Cody spoke, "I, um, remember when I'd asked you if it'd be alright if you could possibly, well …"

"Get to the point, kid," Dustin Runnels had finally spoken, "You're here about your equipment, yes?" Cody nodded once and Dustin disappeared into the room once more. In an instant, he'd reappeared and handed Cody a duffel bag probably filled with his wrestling gear and boots. Cody gave a slight yet courteous nod at Dustin before walking briskly down the hallway with me once more.

"Cody, that was …" Amelia began absolutely awed by the man she'd just seen.

"My half-brother, yes," Cody answered a bit of impatience in his voice. Realizing this, Amelia didn't bother to touch on the subject again. The two had re-entered Cody's suite. "I'll go change," he announced as he grabbed up his duffel bag and slid into the bedroom. Amelia lounged herself outside on the couch looking around the warm and comfortable hotel suite. Suddenly, something had buzzed in her pocket. Fishing in her pockets, she finally pulled out the source of the buzzing - her cell phone.

As she quickly answered it, there came a voice on the other line, "Amelia?" Amelia held the phone closer to her ear she was unable to hear the person on the other line clearly. There'd been a lot of chattering and music behind them.

"Yes," she asked unsurely.

"It's Brit," Brittany's voice piped up trying to overcome the noise around her. She continued, "Listen. I don't think I'll be coming to Smackdown tonight with you. Justin won't be on till' tomorrow, so there's really not much sense in me going tonight. Plus, he claims he has something special for us." She managed to whisper the last part quite clearly. Amelia chuckled a bit.

"Okay, Brit; well, you two have fun," Amelia wished. Brittany thanked her and the two hung up their phones. Just then, the door to the bedroom had swung open and out came a sweatpants wearing Cody Runnels. Amelia smiled. "I suppose your wrestling gear is under all of that," she asked as she got to her feet. Cody chuckled.

"Your supposition would be correct," Cody replied as he'd taken the nose-guard that he'd 'needed' and stuffed it in his duffel bag once more. Amelia smiled.

"Brittany cancelled; apparently, both she and Justin are going somewhere special tonight," Amelia relayed as she gathered up her phone and stuffed it inside her pocket once more. Cody nodded as he rounded up everything that he'd needed. To her surprise, Cody had also reached for his suitcase. "You're going somewhere," Amelia asked in reference to the suitcase he'd lugged out of the room.

"Remember when I'd told you about that place I would take you," he asked. Amelia in turn grabbed her suitcase and lugged it behind her out of the suite. She nodded in response to his question even though she'd thought that this was 'the place'. "We're going there," Cody added, "tonight." Amelia smiled as she watched Cody proceed down the hall in front of her. As the two checked out of Cody's hotel, they'd loaded their luggage into the trunk of his car and moved off in the direction of the Georgia Dome.

In about half an hour they'd arrived there. Amelia and Cody mounted the steps and embraced each other one last time before proceeding off into two different directions. Amelia slowly walked down the seat marked on the ticket. Exceptional choosing, Cody, she thought to herself as she stood against the barricade watching the pyrotechnics explode and listening to the song _Know Your Enemy_ by Green Day be overcome by the screaming and cheering of fans.

Amelia smiled and in time, cheered along with many of her fellow fans. Two or three matches had passed before finally, it was time for Cody's. In this match, it was a title shot - an opportunity for Cody to win the Intercontinental Championship from the current champion, Ezekiel Jackson. Amelia clutched onto the padding of the barricade as she watched Ezekiel Jackson make his way to the ring first; the muscles that the man had were incredible. It was almost as if there muscles stacked on top of muscles. Suddenly, the dragging song played.

Amelia's heart leapt as she watched eagerly for Cody. As the announcer introduced the nose-guarded man who'd pushed away the camera from time to time, Cody stepped into the ring looking very much prepared. "Come on, Cody," Amelia yelled from the crowd. She hadn't known if he'd heard her, but she did see his head shift in her direction for a second. The match proceeded as the bell rang. Cody had gained the upper hand at first, but then Big Zeke, as he was also called, had begun to gain momentum of his own too. Amelia chanted and cheered along with some of her fellow Cody Rhodes fans, until … the bell had rung once more.

"And the winner of this match and _still _your Intercontinental Champion … Ezekiel Jackson," exclaimed the ring announcer. Amelia saw Cody roll out of the ring and trudge back to the locker room as Big Zeke continued to dwell in the cheers from the fans. Amelia sprinted up the steps of the Dome not bothering to watch the main event. All she wanted to see was Cody. She planned on waiting in the lobby of the arena till the show had been over then move out into the parking lot to meet Cody; however, this plan had just been changed quickly as a fully clothed man with a nose-guard had made his way into the arena lobby as well.

Amelia smiled grandly and embraced him. Cody hugged her back before pulling off the nose-guard and looking at her. "You ready," he asked as a smile had begun to sprawl across his face. Amelia nodded smiling back in return. In little to no time, both had seated themselves in Cody's car and sped off onto the road. Not knowing where she had been going, Amelia looked out the window for any clues. All she saw was a sign that read 'You are now leaving Atlanta'. Whatever Cody had planned, it was definitely not in Atlanta.

In about 40 minutes, they'd finally arrived. Parked in a grand driveway, Cody got out and opened Amelia's door as she too exited the vehicle. Curiously looking around the strange house or driveway they'd been in, she looked towards Cody for a clue or hint or … the answer. Cody smiled and placed an arm around her. His lips pressed themselves against her temple. "Welcome home," he whispered. Home, Amelia subconsciously questioned. Then she'd realized, they were in Marietta, Georgia. Cody's home. She excitedly looked at Cody who seemed to have possessed a smirk.

Amelia had spoken no words as she was lead up a flight of stairs and into a grand bedroom. Amelia's hand had left Cody's as she made her way over to a window where the moonlight had seemed to shine right through. Looking back at Cody, she grinned. "This is perfect," she said breathlessly.

"It's yours," he whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind. His whisper had sent a shiver up and down her spine.

"Mine," she asked just as hushed. She saw Cody's head nod as his lips grazed her jaw bone then her neck.

"Ours," he breathed along her neck. Amelia's lip slipped under her teeth. In a second, Cody had spun her around. Looking intensely into each other's eyes, their lips had succumbed to each other's in an instant. Her hands climbed themselves up to his shoulders as his pulled out the clip she'd used to tie her hair in. Amelia could feel them beginning to move closer to an object … some soft. Suddenly, her back had been laying against this soft object that she now recognized as the king bed that sat in the middle of the room. With their lips still intensely trying to overcome one another's, Cody had slid his hands to the bottom of her shirt pushing it up her body and finally pulling it off. Amelia had done the same with his once he'd lain himself on top of her.

In a few moments, clothes had been spread around the room as the two lay on top of one another under one sheet. Amelia marvelled at how the moonlight had perfectly hit his skin as she had lain on top of him. With her head on his chest, she allowed herself to be lulled to sleep once again by his heartbeat - one, she swore, was different, unmatched and unlike anything she'd ever encounter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 9 -_ **Promised**

There she lay in a dark almost abysmal room. Her green eyes widened with panic as she searched around for some sort of light. She had been incapable of moving at all as she tried to grab onto whatever she had been laying on. It had almost been as though someone was on top of her. Suddenly, a pair of lips had crashed onto hers. As much as she had wanted to pull away in order to at least obtain a clue as to what was happening, every nerve in her body had told her to proceed with the passionate kiss. The kiss broke in an instant, and dim light had now seemed to shimmer in.

All she had seen, however, were a pair of hazel brown eyes staring back into hers.

* * *

><p>It was 5:30pm as Justin pulled up to the hotel at which his date had been staying at. Tonight, Justin decided, since he wouldn't be on Smackdown, would be the perfect opportunity to just have a night together with her. Stepping out of his car wearing a pair of dark blue jeans and dark red v-neck accompanied by full black converse, he picked up the gift he'd especially chosen for her. As he made his way up on the elevator, he nervously rocked back and forth on his heels. Although he'd only just met this girl, he'd felt as if he knew her for a lifetime. This one's a keeper, he'd tell himself, you absolutely cannot mess this up.<p>

As the elevator dinged arriving at the proper floor, Justin stepped off and proceeded down the hallway. Pausing before he knocked, he placed one hand (the one with the gift) behind his back as he used the other to knock. "Coming," a voice from inside called back. Justin's heart had leapt for a second at the sound of her voice. A few seconds after the voice had called out, the door had opened. Justin was in awe, for standing before him was his girlfriend dressed in a deep fuchsia strapless dress with a black bow tied around the waist with black heeled shoes.

"Beautiful," Justin had commented breathlessly. Brittany's cheeks flushed a vague shade of pink as she, in turn, marvelled at Justin's attire. He'd looked quite dashing himself, she thought. Snapping out of his daze, Justin promptly presented her with her gift - a beautiful red rose. "For you," he told her with a smile. Brittany grinned from ear to ear as she accepted it. After sniffing it, inhaling it's sweet fragrance, she'd flung her arms around him in gratitude for the marvellous gift. Justin hugged her back sweetly, and after a short while, the two had departed.

Once they'd seated themselves in Justin's car, they were off. "Where are we going again," Brittany asked as Justin reached over and took hold of her hand. She glanced over at Justin who now bore a slight smirk.

"You'll see in a moment, darling," Justin mysteriously lead on. Brittany rolled her eyes from him to the window and let out a slight 'humph'. Caressing the rose in her arms, she stared out the window at the many buildings they'd been passing. She'd never seen this part of Atlanta before, then again, she'd never been here before. The two covered several miles and several minutes passed before the car had slowly come to a stop right outside a mansion booming with music and laughter from inside. Stepping out of the car and leaving the rose behind, Brittany stood in awe at the beautifully kept mansion. Pulling herself back into reality, Justin had held her hand and walked her to the front door. He knocked once on the large and well-varnished mahogany doors.

"Just, where are we," she asked as she continued to look around at the mansion. Justin smiled.

"One of my, um, cousin's had a birthday not too long ago, and this is his party," he told her before knocking once more. Brittany nodded once clutching onto the purse she'd carried with her along the way. In about a minute's time, the door flew open only to reveal a rather short, rounded and balding man staggering to keep his balance. His eyes looked glossy and the red cup in his hand looked as if it were slipping out of his grasp. Shaking his head possibly trying to erase all essence of whatever was in his cup which seemed to be prominently working through his system, he smiled a wide smile.

"Justin," he greeted friendlily as he stuck out his hand to shake Justin's. Justin gave a nervous chuckle and shook the hand offered.

"Hey, Phil," Justin greeted in return as he released his hand. Phil merely stepped aside allowing both Justin and Brittany into the mansion.

"So, who's this lady here, cousin," Phil asked before taking another gulp of whatever was in his cup. Justin smiled and placed a hand on Brittany's back.

"This is my girlfriend, Brittany. Brittany, this is my cousin, Phil," he introduced. Brittany gave a polite smile and shook Phil's hand just as Justin had. Dismissing himself, Phil had staggered back towards some ladies over by the buffet table. Brittany chuckled quietly to herself as she watched Phil. Justin moved the hand up and down her back soothingly before whispering in her ear, "Would you like to drink or eat something?" Brittany glanced back over at Phil who had been sweet-talking a lady over at the buffet table.

"Maybe later," she answered as she looked back at Justin. Justin chuckled once realizing the reason for her answer. As the two strolled into the den of the mansion, they'd noticed it had in fact been the dancing room of the party.

"Would you care to dance with me," Justin asked politely. Brittany blushed and nodded. Justin, taking her hand, led her out onto the dance floor. The two swayed to the rhythm of the music dancing very close face-to-face. Occasionally, Justin spun her inducing both of them to chuckle and blush. After a few minutes of dancing, tiredness had seemed to settle into the two. "Food sounds really good right about now," Justin told her as the music boomed with couples continuing to dance on and around each other. Brittany giggled and nodded. As they'd both made their way over to the buffet table, a thought had hit Brittany. She hadn't told Amelia that she wouldn't be coming.

She quickly rummaged through her purse and finally scooped up her phone. Justin looked at her before asking, "What's wrong?" Brittany shook her head while dialling Amelia's number. Justin smiled to himself while he loaded a plastic plate with food for two. "Amelia," Justin heard Brittany call out trying to overcome the booming music. He had heard her tell Amelia that she wouldn't make it to Smackdown; however, he was unable to hear the bit that she managed to mutter afterwards. After hanging up, Brittany turned to Justin and smiled. "Would you like to go for a walk," he asked her while offering her a cup of punch. Brittany accepted it and smiled before nodding.

They'd walked over to another room; it was painted a beautiful dark green and had three perfectly sculpted French doors lining off the left of the wall. Justin, holding Brittany's free hand, opened one of them and escorted her out into a garden-like backyard. Its pathway was lined with cobblestones and its hedges were nicely cut. Walking along the little trail, they'd both come to stop at a bench. Seating themselves down and placing both the food and beverage on the side, Justin had extended an arm around her. Brittany smiled as she drew closer to him.

Brittany watched as Justin looked up at the night sky which had seemed to be lacking stars. Only two or three had shone in its black blanket-like background. After taking this all in, he'd looked back at Brittany pulling her closer to him. Locking eyes as they usually do, Brittany noticed Justin's lips part as if he were about to say something, but they joined together once more.

"Yes," she asked in a whisper. Justin smirked and shook his head.

"I just," he began talking in a hushed tone, "I wanted to tell you that you mean the world to me, and that," he paused. She glanced down at his lips noticing that his bottom lip had slipped under his teeth.

"Yes," she asked once more in a whisper. His lower lip had once again disappeared under his teeth only to be released a second later. She watched as his lips neared hers slowly.

"I love you," he whispered a second before their lips had crashed onto one another's. His hands had placed themselves on her back as she wrapped her arms around his neck. With their lips moving slowly yet passionately against one another's, they each felt a chill run through them, but this chill wasn't ordinary. It was electric like a spark. Once the kiss had slowly come to a stop, their eyes lazily opened only to stare into each other's. With a smirk on each their faces, they continued to hold each other.

"I love you too," Brittany whispered. And so, the couple sat on a stone bench in the middle of a magnificent garden, beneath a starless, but blanketing night sky, holding each other in their arms - holding each other … in their love.

* * *

><p>"<em>On this day, I see clearly; everything has come to light," <em>rang out the lyrics to her ring tone. Sonelle jumped up out of her nap and into consciousness … well, sort of … as she seized her phone from her bedside table. Picking it up, she checked the time on the nearby clock. It read 8:21pm. So much for napping, she thought to herself. "Hello," she stated while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"Hello there," a familiar voice greeted warmly and vibrantly. Each corner of her mouth had pulled itself upward making her smile a grand one.

"Hi," she once again. She heard Kofi chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Do you mind if I come over," he asked once more. Sonelle immediately jumped out of bed and looked at her attire. All she had been wearing was a tank top and a pair of extremely short shorts or as the girls called them 'Kelly Kelly' shorts.

"Um, sure," she stated a bit hesitant. Holding through phone between her ear and shoulder, she rummaged through her suitcase in search of decent clothes. Finally, she'd pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans, a flattering blue blouse (_.) and a pair of black ballet flats.

Kofi smiled on the other end, "Okay. Well, I'll be there in half an hour." Sonelle smiled while already beginning to change into the clothes she'd pulled out and kicking the old attire off to a corner.

"Okay, I'll see you soon," she noted. Both had bed goodbye and hung up. Setting her phone down on the counter, Sonelle glanced at herself in the mirror as she finished combing her hair. She sprayed a bit of perfume on herself before her phone up off the counter and stepping into the bedroom once more. Packing away all the clothes that'd spilled onto the floor and relocking her suitcase again, her phone rang just as loudly and musically as it had before. In about 2 rings she'd answered once more, "Hello?"

"I'm just about there," Kofi notified her as he swerved his car onto the street where the hotel had been located.

"Okay, I'll look out for you," Sonelle assured him with a smile spread far and wide across her face as she entered into the living room and sat herself on the couch. The two had once again hung up the phone as Sonelle now waited patiently for Kofi to arrive. She glanced over at the clock which now read 8:55pm. What could Kofi possibly want to come over for at nearly 9:00 in the night, she asked herself subconsciously. Suddenly, there came a knock at the door that'd disrupted her thoughts. Getting to her feet, she walked herself to the door and opened. She immediately smiled as a handsome, jeans and black v-neck t-shirt wearing Kofi stood there with his hands in his pockets. "I'm here," Kofi pointed out as he wrapped his arms around her. Sonelle's cheeks blushed a vague shade of red as she too hugged back before inviting him in. They'd now been standing in front of each other, face-to-face … without speaking.

"Um, are we going somewhere," Sonelle inquired disallowing the moment to fill itself with awkward silence. Kofi smiled.

"Remember when I'd told you that I'd had plans for us," Kofi checked as inched forward. Sonelle nodded once only just remembering. "Well," he started as he withdrew two pieces of paper, "I figured I'd take you to an art museum." Sonelle's face had lit up. He couldn't possibly be talking about Atlanta's High Museum of Art, she thought, could he? As Kofi inched forward once more, the pieces of paper in his hand had turned out to be tickets. "They're for an exhibition," he stated with a smile as he watched Sonelle's excitement become apparent on her face.

Sonelle's heart raced as she was handed her ticket to the exhibition. She smiled up at Kofi and wrapped her arms around his neck. He, in turn, placed his hands on her waist. "Thank you," she expressed as she looked up into his eyes. Kofi smirked.

He merely shrugged, "It was nothing." Sonelle couldn't help but giggle at his modesty. Once Sonelle had made sure, she'd gathered up everything she needed to. The two had departed the hotel and were now on their way to the art museum. After presenting their tickets to the man whose plain black shirt had said Security, both of them hurried off to the exhibition entitled Modern By Design . Both had wandered past many of the sculptures in awe of the way past, present and future had been combined into one sculpture and the way classic sculptures had been recreated with a modern twist. This had been their sort of art.

Although they may not have talked much over the course of viewing the art, there was an attraction felt by both of them. It was as if the silence was all they'd needed. It was understood almost as if that just by them dwelling in something they'd both enjoyed - art - it had brought them even closer without any words.

Finally, the art-viewers were ushered out at a quarter to 10. Kofi seized Sonelle's hand and they'd both walked back towards the car. In a few minutes, they were back at Sonelle's suite lounged on the bed sharing a plate of cheesecake that they'd ordered from room service. "So, how did you get those tickets anyways," Sonelle asked as she set down her fork. Kofi smiled.

"I just got them," he stated as he took another bite out of the cheesecake. Sonelle chuckled a bit. "I just _had_ to," he said with a slight smirk.

"Well," Sonelle began, "I'm very grateful that you did." He smiled once more as they'd both taken their last two bites of the cheesecake. "Thank you, Kofi … for everything," Sonelle said a bit seriously now as she set down her fork once more. Kofi shook his head and smiled slightly at her.

"You shouldn't be thanking me," he said in a hushed tone as he pushed the empty plate away with their forks. "I should be thanking you," he concluded. Sonelle scoffed.

"For what," she asked drawing nearer to Kofi as he placed his arm around her. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You put love back into my life," he whispered. "You have no idea how much you truly mean to me - how much I value just being able to wrap you up in my arms and call you mine." Sonelle's cheeks reddened a bit as a smile had begun to crawl across her face slowly. Kofi took one of her hands in his. Sonelle saw him reach into his pocket once more. Her mind soared as to what else this man could've given her. Suddenly, everything had seemed to be set on pause. From his pocket, he'd withdrawn a small box. Opening it, a small ring had been there. As he took it from the box, he looked into Sonelle's eyes and spoke to her, "Like I said … you mean everything to me, and I don't ever want to lose that." Sonelle's eyes were swimming with tears at every word he said. "Sonelle, this is a promise ring - from me to you. This ring," he continued as he turned it around in his fingers, "is my promise that I'll always be faithful to you." A tear had finally crawled down Sonelle's cheek as Kofi placed it on one of her fingers.

Sonelle looked down at the ring then back up at Kofi. Kofi smirked as he glanced at her lips once. Reaching up, Sonelle had kissed Kofi gently on his lips. Kofi smiled as did Sonelle. With her head resting on his chest while he slept and both under the covers, Sonelle looked at the promise ring once more with a smile. Looking back up at Kofi, she whispered, "And this heart is my promise that I'll always love you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 10 - _**The ****Announcement**

Amelia had awoken with a startle. Her dream or nightmare, whatever it was, had her mind in a daze. Her thoughts ran rampant trying to contemplate what she'd just seen in her head. Her breathing had become heavy with every thought that swirled past. Finally, she took a deep breath. Whatever it was, it was just a dream; however, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd seen those hazel brown eyes before. Shaking her head in all attempts to push those thoughts away, she looked down at Cody who'd been sleeping soundly. She half-smiled as she rolled off of him and got to her feet. She then proceeded to change back into her previous attire; as she had finished pulling her shirt on, she'd caught a glimpse of an awakening Cody.

His eyes blinked thrice before opening lazily. Propping himself up on his elbows with the sheet gently laying across his stomach, he looked at Amelia curiously. "Going somewhere," he asked with a raise of his eyebrow. Amelia smiled and shook her head climbing back onto the bed. Cody took a deep breath before lying back down on his pillow and staring up at the ceiling. He then looked at Amelia. "I guess we should get some breakfast," Cody voiced groggily.

"Sure," Amelia giggled as she moved herself off the bed and proceeded downstairs to the kitchen giving Cody a bit of privacy to freshen up. Amelia had made her way into the kitchen marvelling at how homey this grand house had been. With its walls ranging from colours like beige, crème and dark brown, Amelia had a warm and comfortable feel for each room. The kitchen's walls were painted a warm brown colour which complimented the tiled counters perfectly. As she peered into the fridge, her ears had picked up the sound of footsteps; however, they weren't coming from the stairs. "Cody," Amelia called out in an inquiring tone. There was no response.

She closed the refrigerator door and hesitantly proceeded out of the kitchen and into the living room. "Cody," Amelia called out a bit quieter this time. Again, nothing stirred. Suddenly a rounded and aging man wearing a mustard yellow shirt with his cell phone clutched to his ear had stepped through the front door.

"See here, see," his said with his lisp heavy on his speech. He'd stopped abruptly in the middle of the phone call and looked up at an awed Amelia. Confused, he merely spoke into his telephone, "Um, I'll go call you back." He tucked his phone away in his pocket while continuing to look suspiciously at Amelia. As he'd opened his mouth to speak, footsteps had been heard running down the steps. Cody had appeared at the bottom of the staircase. Placing an arm around Amelia, he'd realized they weren't alone looking up at the rounded, aging man he nervously smiled.

"Dad," Cody started, "what're you doing here?" The legend, Dusty Rhodes (Virgil Runnels) chuckled at his son's question.

"Who is she, son," he asked completely avoiding Cody's question.

"This is Amelia … erm, Amelia this is -" Cody had said before being cut off.

"Dusty Rhodes," Amelia had muttered louder than she thought. Bringing herself back from her daze, she merely blushed and looked down at her feet. Both Cody and his father gave a slight chuckle. Amelia looked up only to see Cody's father's hand stretched in front waiting for hers. Amelia had taken it and they'd shaken hands.

"It's very nice to meet you, Amelia," he said. Amelia gave a courteous, the-pleasure-is-absolutely-all-mine-great-legend-sir sort of nod in return. "Well, I suppose I'll drop by later," he spoke once more this time to Cody. Cody nodded once and both he and Amelia had watched the legend depart the residence. Slowly turning to Cody, Amelia raised one eyebrow mouthing the word 'wow'. He chuckled a bit. "Shall we make breakfast then," he asked as they both walked into the kitchen. Amelia gave a nervous nod. Don't mess this up, Amelia subconsciously warned herself. In little to no time, Amelia and Cody had prepared a breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast. With only one egg splattered on the floor (which had already been cleaned up), the two made their way to the T.V. room where they sat on the couch divulging themselves in their prepared breakfast.

"Do you have a show tonight," Amelia asked as she bit off a piece of her toast. Cody who'd been chewing his food shook his head.

Having swallowed, he said, "No, not tonight, but on Friday, I do." Amelia nodded once. Finishing her plate of food, she set it down on the coffee table set in front of the couch. "Do you have any plans for today," he asked after taking a sip of his orange juice.

"Well, I was going to see what the girls were up to," Amelia told him now sitting cross-legged and turning to him. "I haven't seen them since we landed," she explained. Cody nodded understandingly as he set down his plate as well. Amelia smiled once before standing up and reaching for both their plates in order to clear them away in the kitchen; however, a hand had placed itself on top of hers. She looked up at Cody who'd been standing over her.

"I'll take it," he whispered before planting a kiss on her cheek. Amelia blushed and smiled before retaking her seat on the couch. Cody cleared away everything in an instant. At this point sitting alone on the couch, Amelia's mind had allowed itself to circle back to her dream. Those hazel brown eyes, where had she seen them? "Amelia," a voice called out inducing her to give a slight jump as her brain racked itself trying to come up with faces to match those eyes.

Turning her head in the direction of Cody, she stood up. "Yes," she asked as Cody had neared her. He'd had a worried look on his face as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you alright," he asked in a whisper as he slid his hand up and down her back gently. Amelia's eyes looked down at the floor for an instant deciding on whether or not to tell him about her dream. Finally, her brain seemed to settle on an answer.

"Perfect," she said as she threw him a convincing smile.

* * *

><p>A pair of soft lips had gently crashed onto Sonelle's awakening her from her sleep. As her eyes fluttered open, her lips had curved themselves into a smile as she stared up into the dark brown eyes of Kofi. A sight, she had constantly told herself, she'd never get bored of. Taking her hand in his, Kofi gazed at how the ring seemed to fit perfectly around her finger and how its shine had seemed to grow since it had been placed on her finger. "It fits you," he whispered - his voice still possessing a groggy, 'morning voice' sound. Sonelle grinned at this.<p>

"Thank you," she also stated in a hushed tone. Lifting her head off her pillow, she planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. Kofi replied with a wink before pulling himself up into a sitting position. Sonelle mimicked this action drawing nearer to Kofi as his arm situated itself around her shoulders. "Are you wrestling tonight," she asked as she leaned her head on his shoulder still half-asleep.

"No, not tonight," he whispered resting his head on top of hers. "Tomorrow, though," he told her as his lips kissed the top of her head. Sonelle gave a slight nod as her eyes had begun to close once more. Kofi chuckled and rubbed her arm slowly. The shivers sent by this gesture had seemed to rejuvenate her a bit. With her eyes now opened, she looked up at Kofi who looked down into her eyes.

"Are you hungry," she asked sweetly. Kofi smiled softly as he stroked the ends of her hair with his thumb.

"We can order room service," Kofi told her. Sonelle inched herself off the bed.

"No," he spoke, "let me call." Sonelle nodded once and smiled before climbing back onto the bed. As she lay herself back down on her pillow, she watched as Kofi exited the bedroom and made his way into the living room. Suddenly, there came a muffled sound almost like the lyrics to her ring tone being sung. As she inched her way over to the end of the bed, she looked under each pillow. It wasn't there.

Following the source of sound, she stumbled into the bathroom where the sound seemed to have increased. Recognizing it was coming from her purse on the floor, she quickly stooped down and rummaged through it. Finally, having acquired it, she answered it immediately. "Hello," she spoke in an interrogative fashion rather than a declarative one. From the other end of the phone call, she could hear the panic in the person's voice.

"S-Sonelle," she said. Sonelle had recognized this voice immediately.

"Khaila, what's wrong," Sonelle asked concernedly.

"I need to talk to you guys … in person," she stated with the panic in her voice increasing. Sonelle nodded to herself as if she were talking to Khaila face-to-face.

"Okay, well … let's meet up here at my suite," Sonelle offered.

"Okay; I … I'll see you," Khaila spoke her voice cracking at the last word. In an instant, she'd hung up prohibiting Sonelle from asking any further questions. Sonelle sunk to the bathroom floor staring at the tiled walls in utter dismay. Why'd Khaila sounded like that? Had Punk done something to her? The questions confounded her. She had been sure that whatever it was - it was serious. Khaila had never been one to over-exaggerate, and at this realization, Sonelle had worried more.

* * *

><p>Brittany had awoken to the smell of pancakes being cooked on a stove. Looking over at the side of the bed where Justin was supposed to be, she'd discovered only his shirt and jacket there … no Justin. Her brow furrowed as she reluctantly rolled herself out of bed. "Justin," she called as she trudged her way out of the bedroom.<p>

"In here," a voice called back from the kitchen. Making her way into the kitchen, she smiled at Justin, who had been wearing nothing but his jeans that he'd worn last night, placing pancakes on plates for both himself and Brittany. She giggled a bit at the way the pancakes had been misshaped.

"Nice," she commented as she looked over at it. Justin chuckled a bit and kissed her cheek before sitting down with her at the kitchen counter. Both had taken the first few bites out of their pancakes before speaking once more. "It's delicious, Just," Brittany complimented once more before taking a sip of her juice. Justin gave a small smile before muttering a thanks.

"Hey, so you know how I'll be wrestling tonight," he asked as his accent played on his speech. Brittany smiled and nodded thinking of how much sweeter his accent had made his sentence sound. "Well, how would you like to come with me," he asked once more. Brittany's smiled widened as she nodded vigorously.

"I'd love to," she told him before continuing her meal. Justin smiled.

"I should be getting the tickets this afternoon," he told her. "I'll just bring them back here afterwards." Brittany nodded as she finished her piece of pancake and pushed the dish to the side. In a moment or two, Justin had finished his as well. Giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek, he turned to face her. "Would you like to see a movie with me, afterwards," he asked once more. Brittany smiled.

"Won't you be tired," she asked in return as she had begun to clear away all the plates and dishes. Justin scoffed.

"I don't get tired," he said confidently. Brittany laughed.

"Oh really," she asked disbelievingly. Justin smiled and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"No," he said with a smile. Brittany, in turn, smiled back. Just as she had about to give her answer, a ringing noise resonated throughout the suite. Looking back over Justin's shoulder, she heard it distinctly coming from the bedroom. Excusing herself for a moment, she rushed in and quickly scooped up her phone which had been laying on the bedside table nearest her side of the bed.

Picking it up, she spoke clearly into the receiver, "Hello?"

"Brit, something's wrong with Khaila," said a voice that Brittany had recognized as Sonelle's. A worried look had been plastered on Brittany's face now as she had sunk to the bedroom floor sitting cross-legged.

"What's wrong with her," she asked quietly as worry had begun to take over.

"I don't know, but she sounded panicky and you know Khaila. She's not one to over-exaggerate things," Sonelle spoke. "She said she needed to talk to us - all of us, so I told her to meet us here in my suite."

"Okay," Brittany said her voice still possessing the quietness. "Well, what time do you want us to come over," she asked.

"About 3:00" Sonelle asked. Brittany looked at the clock which read 9:30. She nodded to herself making a mental note.

"I'll be there," Brittany told her. The two girls bed goodbye to one another and hung up the phone. Easing her way back to her feet, Brittany walked outside a look of worry still pasted o her face as she continued to stare down at her phone. Justin had apparently picked up on this as he placed his hands on either sides of her arms. "I can't go with you tonight, Justin," Brittany told him in her quiet, worried voice.

"Why - What's wrong, darling," he asked her - he, himself, had grown a worried look on his face from Brittany's behaviour. Brittany sighed.

"Nothing," she told him. "Don't worry about anything. It's just friend stuff; I have to go over at Sonelle's at 3:00." Justin nodded still confused. Brittany planted a sweet kiss on his cheek and urged him not to think of it any longer. As they seated themselves on the couch, watching movies that played on Starz, Brittany's mind had been working overtime. She was worried about Khaila and what may have happened to her. Looking up at the clock every now and then, she waited for 3:00pm to hit so as to maybe put her worry to rest.

* * *

><p>As the day progressed, Amelia and Cody had not moved from the bed. They'd lain there in their laziness merely enjoying each other's company and watching old movies that he'd had on DVD. With her head on Cody's chest, Amelia had seemed to forget all about her dream. All her thoughts, at the moment, were about Cody and their relationship. With her eyes closing as she had been beginning to be lulled to sleep by his breath intake, a sudden buzz had been heard from on top of Cody's bedside table. Amelia jumped a bit at the noise.<p>

Cody looked over with ease and picked up her phone. Handing it to her, she picked it up. "Hello," she asked now pulling herself to a sitting position. She felt Cody shift his way off the bed and into the bathroom.

"Amelia, it's Brittany. You need to get over here - something's wrong with Khaila," Brittany stated her voice quieter than usual. Amelia's face had grown with confusion.

"Wrong? What's wrong with her," she asked with her legs now crisscrossing themselves on the bed.

"I don't know. Sonelle just told me that she wanted to speak to us and that it sounded urgent. We're going to be in Sonelle's," Brittany relayed. Amelia sensing the worry in her voice had known something had gone down. Amelia nodded to herself in reassurance.

"Okay, don't worry. I'll be there," she relayed. Brittany and Amelia then said goodbye and hung up the phone. With tears in her eyes, Amelia had begun to worry. From behind, she sensed a confused Cody looking at her out of the doorway.

"What's wrong, love," Cody asked in a whisper as he crawled onto the bed. Amelia's tears had seemed to slip onto her cheeks.

"I don't know," she told him truthfully. "Something's wrong with Khaila." Cody's brow furrowed as he shot a confused look at her. "Please, I need to go to our hotel," she told Cody. Using his thumbs to clear away her tears from her cheeks, Cody nodded once.

"I'll drive you; don't worry," he whispered as he embraced her tightly. Amelia half-smiled at the fact he'd cared, but the worried thought still pervaded her mind. In a few moments, Cody and Amelia had driven up to the hotel. Amelia quickly stumbled her way out of the vehicle and up to Sonelle's suite. She quickly knocked on the room door. The door opened slowly. Amelia glanced up at Brittany who'd opened the door then walked in only to see Khaila and Sonelle seated on the couch. Khaila's face was now tear-stained and Sonelle's eyes had begun to water.

"What's happened," Amelia asked worriedly as she sat on her ankles in front of Sonelle and Khaila. Khaila's body had begun to shake a bit as her tears poured out onto her face. Sonelle who had been hugging her, hugged tighter. "What-What's wrong," Amelia asked once more. Everyone seemed to have remained quiet. After a few moments of silence, Amelia had raised her voice - she was worried, "Will someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Nant," she heard Khaila muffle out.

"What," Amelia asked unable to make out what Khaila had said.

"I'm pregnant," Khaila whispered in a sob as Sonelle hugged her tighter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 11 - _**Questions Asked**

"What," Amelia asked in utter disbelief. Khaila continued to sob. "But that-that's not possible," Amelia scoffed incredulously.

"I - Punk and I - Monday… we," Khaila choked on her tears, but Amelia had understood. Again, her brow had furrowed.

"How could you feel the symptoms of pregnancy so early," she asked unwilling to believe that one of her best friends had been pregnant. Khaila looked up at her; her eyes bloodshot and her face even more tear stained. "Look, I'm not saying that it's entirely impossible, but … you might want to wait another week before-," she whispered to Khaila. Without a word, Khaila left the room and headed straight into the bathroom. Sonelle and Brittany had excused themselves into the kitchen leaving Amelia to sit alone on the living room floor.

Khaila … pregnant, she thought to herself, still trying to wrap her head around it. Hours later, Khaila had come out of the bathroom only to ask Sonelle if it'd be okay if she dropped her back to the house Punk had set up. "I can drop you," Amelia volunteered getting out her phone to call Cody. Khaila merely glanced at Amelia and nodded once. Having dialled Cody's number, she pressed the phone to her ear. Amelia made her way over to one of the armchairs seating herself in it while waiting to hear Cody's voice pick up.

"Hello," his voice sounded. Amelia gave a slight smile.

"Hi, do you mind picking me and a friend up right now," she asked quietly.

"Sure thing, love. You're still at that hotel, right," he asked in return. Amelia muttered a small 'mhm' and Cody promised that he'd be there soon. After both bidding goodbye, they'd clicked 'end' on both their phones. Stuffing her phone back into her pocket, she stood up from her seat.

"Cody'll be here any minute," she relayed to Khaila who gave a half-smile and small nod. Amelia sighed. Had she said something that may have upset Khaila? Could Amelia thinking that all this was a bluff may have hurt her? She hadn't known, and quite candidly her brain had been running around in circles over recent events too much for her to give any more thought to much anything else. First a strange dream about hazel brown eyes, and then Khaila claiming she's been pregnant for three days - she could feel a headache beginning to grow.

A knock had disturbed the girls' silence that had only been realized till then. With Sonelle opening the door, Cody stood there with his hands in his pockets. Amelia smiled at the sight of Cody whose mere presence seemed to offer relief to her mind. The girls wished Khaila good luck and bed her goodbye as both she and Amelia left with Cody to the car. Climbing into the back seat with Khaila, Amelia seated herself next to the window. "So, where are we going exactly," Cody asked while starting the car.

"Um, 387 North Ackerman Street," Khaila responded quietly before looking out the window once more and placing a hand over her stomach. Amelia watched her friend shift uncomfortably in her seat and she couldn't help but feel a bit of discomfort herself. Scooting closer to Khaila, Amelia had figured it'd be better to get to the bottom of all of this.

"What's wrong," she whispered to Khaila. She saw Khaila's eyes shift to her then back out the window as she gave a slight shrug. "Listen. It's not that I don't believe you, and that I'd think you'd do something for just attention, but look at it … it's not nearly been a week and -" she stopped as she saw a tear roll down Khaila's cheek. Sighing and closing her eyes, she'd known she'd made it worse.

"I just need you guys to trust me," Khaila croaked from the knots that had been forming in her throat. Amelia's eyes opened back up as they refocused on Khaila. "Trust me, I wouldn't be bluffing about this," she stated quietly once more. Amelia nodded and embraced her friend sisterly in her arms. She hadn't known what to say to her - what could possibly make her situation alright, but perhaps no words and just a hug had been comfort enough.

In about 20 minutes, they'd reached their destination. As Cody hopped out to open the door for Khaila, both she and Amelia hugged once more. Getting herself out of the vehicle, Khaila retreated to a small white house. As Cody climbed back into the car, Amelia laid herself down on the backseat. Her head had now felt as if it were to split in two. All the thoughts that had now been inside her head were growing, and not only had it given her a head-splitting headache, but it had begun to weigh her eyelids down. Down and down they were weighed till finally they were shut.

Amelia had awoken to find herself alone in the car. "Cody," she called out interrogatively; however, nothing called back. As she slid her way out of the car, she entered the only building that had seemed to be there. It appeared to be a hotel. Walking in, she found couples checking in and employees hard at their work. Suddenly, almost as if she were merely picked up and placed, she had found herself in a dark room. Searching for some light to turn on, Amelia's eyes scanned the walls of this room.

Suddenly, she'd found something … a window. Pushing it up, she allowed the moonlight to escape into the room. Turning around, however, she'd been hit by a sudden wave of utter shock and confusion, for laying there on the bed was … herself atop another being. A man. Although she was unable to see the man's face, she had almost reassured herself that it was Cody. As she moved closer, however, she'd realized the man's physique could not possibly match Cody's. Her heart pounded as realization of what she'd been seeing settled into her. She was laying naked atop another man - one, who seemed all-too-familiar to her.

* * *

><p>"Punk," Khaila called as she kicked off her shoes at the entrance. "I'm home," she called once more. Suddenly a door had opened from somewhere down the corridor. Emerging from the corridor, a man whose lip piercing now gleamed in the moonlight that had broken in the house by the many windows. Khaila smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Punk gave her a smile in return as he too wrapped his arms around her. Pulling her closer by her waist, his sweet smile had turned into a smug smirk. Khaila blushed a light pink.<p>

"Where've you been," he asked as he glanced up at the clock which read 10:45pm. Khaila followed his gaze then turned it back on him.

"With my friends, remember, you dropped me off," she reminded him. Her smile had started to fade hoping she wouldn't have to break the news to him until she were more certain than she was now that she were pregnant. Punk gave a nod of recollection.

"Ah, I remember now," he stated with a smile. Khaila returned a smile and loosened her grip from around his neck letting her hands slip from around him. Punk had done the same … only reluctantly letting her go. "Have you eaten," he asked her as she was about to make her way down the corridor.

"Oh, no," she stated as she spun around on her heel to face him. Punk smiled once more.

"Can I make you something then," he asked. Khaila giggled a bit.

"Sure, Punk. I'll just be in the bedroom," she told him. Punk gave her a thumbs up before moving himself into the kitchen. Khaila walked down the corridor and finally entered into the bedroom. Flicking on the light, she quickly changed out of her previous attire and into sleep wear. With a yawn, Khaila crawled onto the bed that she and Punk shared, while flicking on the T.V. Although she hadn't truly been interesting in whatever had been on, it did give her mind a bit of distraction, and that, as far as she was concerned, for the moment, was all she needed.

* * *

><p>The car drive home seemed longer than usual to Brittany as she sat in the front passenger seat of a perspiring Justin's car. He'd just come from the house show that she'd missed due to the bit of emergency that'd recently transpired. Although she'd much rather be striking up a conversation with Justin, her thoughts had been buried deep in what had recently been revealed. She couldn't help but worry about her friend. As she heaved a sigh, she felt Justin's eyes on her. "I'm fine, Justin," she told him before giving him the chance to ask the question she'd known he'd been itching to ask her ever since she stepped foot into the car.<p>

Brittany could hear Justin heave a great sigh as she felt his eyes leave her and refocus on the road ahead. Spending most of the car ride in deep thought, Brittany continued to gaze blankly out of the window. Justin, having felt that perhaps now wouldn't be the greatest time to remind her of their movie date plans, remained quiet as well. Finally, they'd arrived at Justin's hotel. Even if they hadn't been going to the movie that Justin had promised her, he'd made it his mission to take whatever it was that was on her mind … off of it.

Slipping silently out of the car, the couple proceeded up on the elevator to Justin's suite. In the few moments of getting off at the floor and unlocking the door, both had entered the suite. As Brittany was about to move her way to the couch, a hand had stopped her. She looked back at Justin who'd possessed a sly smirk. At this, she couldn't help but allow a small smile to sprawl across her face. Stepping slowly toward her, his eyes shifted themselves between her lips and her eyes. As he stood before her, about an inch away from her face, Brittany had just realized she'd been looking down at his lips the entire while. She watched as his lips neared hers slowly.

Suddenly, their lips had succumbed to one another's - fighting with an intensity unmatched. Brittany placed her hands on his shoulders as Justin placed his on her back. A sudden chill came over her as she felt Justin's hands slide their way to her quads lifting her up. Brittany instantly wrapped her legs around his waist as Justin kept his hands just where they'd been. Justin made his way over to the bedroom laying Brittany down on the bed. Their kiss picked up not only speed but intensity. With Justin kneeling over her, he quickly pulled off his shirt. Then, just as swiftly as he'd pulled off his shirt, he'd reached down for his belt buckle. There was no question about it, Brittany's mind no longer focused on her previous worry, and Justin's mission was without a doubt underway.

* * *

><p>As Sonelle seated herself back on her bed exhausted from the day's turn of events, she picked up her phone deliberating whether or not to invite Kofi over once more. After receiving the phone call from Khaila and relaying to Kofi that she'd be having a bit of reunion with her friends, Kofi had courteously excused himself from the hotel telling Sonelle to call him after it had all been finished. As she looked at the time which read 1:35am, she wondered whether or not Kofi had still been awake.<p>

Taking a deep breath, she placed her phone on her bedside table figuring that he was probably sleeping. As she lay in bed, her head swirled about with thoughts of what would become of Khaila. Had she _truly_ been pregnant? And if so, what would Punk say? Would he stay? Would he leave? The last three questions especially dwelled predominantly in her mind. Finally, she'd realized this worrying would bring her no closer to the answers to any of these questions. Whether Khaila had been pregnant or not, whether Punk would leave her or not, she would be there for her friend especially during this time.

As she finally rolled over onto her stomach in order to try and get a bit of sleep, her phone had rung out - the ring tone seeming even louder now that it was the dead of the early morning and that her eyes had finally been closing. Lazily reaching over to her phone on her bedside table, she answered, "Hello?"

"Aren't you going to let me in," another voice asked on the opposite end. A small smile had begun to spread across her face. Rising from bed, she made her way over to the door of the suite.

"Maybe," she lead on with a smirk now where her small smile had been. The person on the other end chuckled lowly.

"Do I have to pass some sort of test," he asked with a slight smile on his face on the other end. Sonelle giggled on her end of the line. As she neared the door, she glanced through the peep hole. She smiled as she saw Kofi standing there with his cell phone clutched to his ear. After a few seconds of deciding whether or not to tease him a bit, Sonelle had finally opened the door.

In an instant, Kofi swept in through the door and swept her up in his arms. Sonelle hugged back lovingly. Pulling away from their hug, Sonelle looked up at Kofi curiously. "So, you randomly decided to show up at my doorstep," she asked. Kofi shrugged with a small smirk on his face.

"It was supposed to be romantic," he relayed as he stepped closer to her. Sonelle smiled rewrapping her arms around Kofi's neck.

"Nice try," she whispered to him. He gave a small smirk before he too wrapped his arms around her waist. With their lips succumbing to each other's, Kofi had taken another step forward; however, due to Kofi's build. His 'gentle step forward' had knocked both Sonelle and himself off their feet and onto the ground. Still, their lips refused to break their passionate and loving kiss. Sonelle could feel something different in this kiss; it was more passionate … more … desirable.

For a moment, she'd felt Kofi reach for his belt buckle. If this had proven to be so, should she let him? In about a second, her mind had been made up. Reaching for his shirt, Sonelle had begun to slide it up his well-sculpted body. Suddenly, a hand had found hers. Sonelle broke the kiss solely to shoot him a confused look. "What's wrong," she breathed to him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. Sonelle shook his head, however, she had looked a bit disappointed. As Kofi rolled off of her and sat beside where she lay, she too pulled herself into a sitting position. Taking her hand, he turned to her. "Look," he started in a whisper. "I don't want to rush us. I want our first time together to be something special … unforgettable," he concluded. Still, Sonelle stared at the ground hugging her knees into her chest. With a sigh, Kofi rose to her feet about to head for the door, when a voice from behind him induced him to stop dead in his tracks.

"Kofi," the voice called. Kofi faced Sonelle as he turned around on his heel. In a sudden, Sonelle had flung her arms around Kofi's neck once more hugging him tight. Kofi hugged her back just as tightly. Pulling away from the hug as they'd once done before, Sonelle gave him a gentle peck on the lips, "I love you." Kofi smiled a wide smile as he'd hugged her in his chest once more.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear softly, "so much more."


	12. Chapter 12

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 12 - _**Hazel Eyes**

Wrapping themselves in each other's arms as they laid on the bed, Sonelle and Kofi soundly drifted off to sleep. Both had agreed, it had been a long day … and an even more eventful night.

* * *

><p>Amelia awoke with a shudder, feeling both startled and relieved. She had been relieved at the fact that her major headache that she had felt previously had now disappeared and at the fact that what she had just witnessed had been a dream … and solely a dream; however, the new thought that had occupied her mind startled her. Who had that man that she'd lain on top of? As she had begun to take her surroundings into account, she'd noticed that she had lain on the bed she had once before been familiar with.<p>

As she pulled herself into a sitting position, she glanced around the room for any trace of Cody; however, as she was quick to realize, there was none. Sliding out of the bed, she paced herself toward the door. "Cody," she called out. No response followed. She raised one eyebrow and walked cautiously down the flight of stairs. "Cody," she tried calling out once more. Again, no response came. Stepping into the kitchen, she'd found a note left on top of the kitchen counter. Picking it up, she read it silently.

_Amelia,_

_I'm so sorry, but my dad needed me. I'll be back at the house as soon as I can be. I've left you an extra set of keys on top of the kitchen cabinet in case of any emergency. Will call later. _

_Cody_

As Amelia re-read the note once more, she glanced up at the clock which read 9:30am. Had she really slept that long? Heaving a small sigh, Amelia placed the note back where she had found it and mindlessly walked herself into the T.V. room. Seating herself on the couch, she'd stared out the window which was placed beside the T.V. set. In the silence of this moment, she'd decided to further analyze her dream. In her first dream, she'd seen a pair of hazel brown eyes that she was absolutely certain she'd seen before. That could be anyone, she thought.

She shook her head clearing away that dead-ended track. In her second dream, she'd seen herself naked on top of another man. Although the face of this man remained a mystery to her, she assured herself that it hadn't been Cody, and this thought pained her. Obviously this dream had been nothing but a dream, but she couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt. Of course this dream bothered her, but how was she to tell Cody this - if he were to ask what was wrong. Her thoughts drifted back to the man she'd seen herself atop of. Something about him had seemed familiar as well. Whether or not this man had been connected with that of the hazel eyes, Amelia was uncertain, but she had a strange feeling they were.

Suddenly, the song _Lovefurypassionenergy _by Boy Hits Car had resounded throughout the house. Amelia gave a slight jump as the sound had disrupted her thoughts and put an end to the comforting silence. Rising from her seat on the couch, she hastily climbed back upstairs and scanned the room for her phone. Finally, she spotted it under the bed. Diving for it, she quickly picked it up. "Hello," she stated in a rather question-like fashion.

"Good morning," a male voice stated over the phone. Amelia smiled once recognizing it had been Cody.

"Morning," she replied. Cody chuckled on the other end of his phone. Amelia could hear soft murmurs in the background.

"Listen. I don't know if I'll be able to make it home for lunch, babe. My dad and I are running around the place like crazy right now searching for some things that he needs." Amelia giggled a bit as she pictured the legend Dusty Rhodes and up-and-coming superstar Cody Rhodes - father and son - gliding through supermarkets causing heads to turn.

"Oh, that's alright. I'll just call one of the girls and maybe we could go to lunch."

"Alright then, love. I'll see you later tonight." A slight smirk spread across Amelia's face.

"Definitely," she stated ending the conversation then and there. After a low chuckle from Cody and a hasty goodbye made by the two, each of them had hung up. Amelia glanced at the clock once more which read 9:39am. At least _one_ of her friends had to be up by now. Amelia dialled Brittany's number and pressed the phone to her ear. It rang and rang several times, but no one had picked up. She tried once more and got the same response. Strange …

As Amelia had pressed six of the seven digits to Khaila's number, she rethought. Perhaps calling Khaila this soon wouldn't be such a wise move. Finally, she dialled Sonelle's number. Thankfully, she'd picked up. "Hello," Sonelle asked.

"Hey, it's Amelia. I was just wondering if you'd want to go out for lunch or something," Amelia asked in return. Sonelle had murmured something to someone in her background before speaking into the phone once more.

"Sure," she paused before stating, "or how about you just come over here and we order something?" Amelia smiled as she reminisced on her high school days with her friends; during the summers, they had done this at least three times a week.

"Okay. What time do you want me over there?"

"Is 11:00 ok?" Amelia gave a quick glance at the clock which now read 9:42am. She had ample time to get dressed and shower.

"Definitely. I'll see you in a bit then." As Sonelle muttered a slight 'mhm' in response to Amelia's statement. The two bed goodbye and hung up. Letting her phone slip through her hands and onto the bed, Amelia lifted herself off the bed and planted her feet on the ground making her way to the bathroom. She quickly stripped down and showered before changing into faded blue skinny jeans which was fastened with a black belt, a crème button down shirt and a pair of white ballet flats. Giving her hair nothing more than a quick tussle, she grabbed up her phone and wallet while checking the amount of time she'd had. She'd spent nearly an hour in the shower leaving the time to fix itself at 10:30am.

As Amelia made her way downstairs, she climbed up on the counter - trying her hardest not to slip and fall - and reached up on top of the kitchen cabinet feeling around for the keys. As she'd found them, she quickly stowed them in her pocket. Just as she had about to brace herself for the leap off, her foot slipped and Amelia tumbled backwards. Thankfully, she'd caught herself before completely landing flat on her back. Giving a slight sigh of relief, she rung up a taxi service that she'd found scribbled on the back of the note Cody had left her. Once requesting that the taxi pick her up from her current location and being reassured from the cab driver that it would take no longer than 15 minutes to get there, Amelia waited outside on the porch.

Seating herself on the steps of the porch, she hugged her knees staring out at the trees that harboured the mansion-like estate. With a smile on her face, she remembered Cody's words the night he'd brought her here.

"_It's yours," he whispered in her ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind. His whisper had sent a shiver up and down her spine. _

"_Mine," she asked just as hushed. She saw Cody's head nod as his lips grazed her jaw bone then her neck._

"_Ours," he breathed along her neck. _

She hadn't known _exactly _what Cody meant by 'ours' - whether he meant, Amelia had a place there whenever she were to visit Georgia or she would live in this house with him for as long as they pleased - she merely enjoyed the feeling of being able to call the estate and Cody 'hers'. Just then, two beeps had been heard. As Amelia craned her neck to see past the gate, she realized the cab had come. Racing over to the gate, she quickly unlocked it and locked it back after stepping through it. Sliding into the cab, she gave him the directions to the hotel. The cab driver gave an understanding nod and they were on their way.

Figuring they wouldn't be reaching Atlanta for another 40 minutes, Amelia gazed out the window allowing her mind to drift …

* * *

><p>Brittany awoke to the sound of her phone's muffled ringing. As she slid herself out of bed, she reached for the pockets of her jeans that had been thrown onto the floor. Prying her phone from the clutches of her pockets, she'd realized whoever it was that had been calling had stopped. Shrugging off the missed call, she placed her phone on the bedside table before crawling back onto bed.<p>

Just as she'd settled herself under the sheets once more, she watched as Justin rolled over onto his back and looked in her direction. Brittany giggled as she saw the outcome of last night's event take a toll on Justin's hair. It had become a complete mess - not that she minded. "Morning," his 'morning voice' whispered to her. Brittany smiled softly.

"Morning," she hoarsely whispered back. Justin smiled and moved a bit closer to her giving her a gentle peck on the cheek. Brittany giggled once more. Suddenly, Justin had rolled on top of her just as he'd done last night. "What are you doing," she asked as she ran her fingers through his thick brunette hair. Justin smirked seeming to enjoy that.

"I would think it'd be obvious," he stated still possessing that ever-sly smirk. Brittany couldn't help but smirk back. As his lips crashed against hers, Justin's fingers had tangled themselves in her hair. Brittany's hands placed themselves on his shoulders. His lips had slipped from her lips and had begun to kiss along her jaw line. Brittany's eyes fluttered closed as she enjoyed every bit of this moment. Nothing would interrupt them … except … Brittany's ring tone had loudly rung out resonating throughout the bedroom. Justin had broken his kiss as he looked at it.

Brittany glanced up at him unsure of whether or not to get it. Justin replied with a slight smirk, his lips crashing onto hers once more. That had been an answer enough for her. Placing her hands on his shoulders once more, Brittany allowed her phone to ring while she and Justin recreated last night's episode.

* * *

><p>"Ma'am," the cab driver repeated. Amelia jumped a bit coming back into reality. She'd once again been thinking about her recent dream. "You've arrived," the man clarified. Amelia muttered a slight 'oh' and compensated the driver before stepping out of the car.<p>

As she stepped into the elevator, a man had seemed to step in as well. Amelia hadn't noticed that there had been another person in the elevator with her until it had stopped at the fifth floor. She looked around curiously before finally recognizing the presence of the man that had been standing in the elevator with her. He was tall, brunette, well-built and seemingly around his early 20s; however, none of these things had come into comparison to what Amelia had noticed primarily. As Amelia gave the man a courteous smile before he left, he looked in her direction his hazel brown eyes staring into hers as he returned the courtesy.


	13. Chapter 13

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 13 - _**Questions And Plans**

The elevator doors closed once more. Amelia's eyes widened in shock. Could _that_ possibly be the man she'd been seeing in her dreams? Her heart pounded as these thoughts ran rampant through her mind. Suddenly, the elevator dinged once more finally arriving at the floor on which Sonelle's suite had been on. With her mind still in a tizzy over this stranger that she'd just seen, she hadn't been conscious that she'd already been walking towards Sonelle's suite. Setting the thought aside for now, she knocked on the door. In a few minutes, Sonelle opened it welcoming Amelia in. Amelia smiled and stepped in. After taking a couple glances around, she hadn't seen any sign that Kofi was here. "Where's Kofi," Amelia asked her mind now able to relax due to the answer … or possible one at least that she'd found.

Sonelle closed the door and locked it. "Oh, he went out to buy some food for us," she relayed while offering Amelia a seat on the couch. Amelia politely took it.

"Oh," Amelia stated with a smile. "How's everything between you and him, if you don't mind me asking?" Sonelle couldn't help but grin at this question.

"Everything's … peachy - just peachy," she stated. Amelia giggled as she kicked off her shoes and sat cross-legged. "What about you and Cody," she asked in return. Amelia's eyes widened a bit wanting to share every bit of detail from the house to the strange dreams she'd been having; however, she thought not to. She had never been one to brag or vent to people.

"We're good too," Amelia relayed with a smile. Sonelle nodded once. Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Sonelle reached the door and pulled it open allowing Kofi to step through with a plastic bag worth of food. Amelia stood up and made her way over to the kitchen in order to offer some help. After greeting Kofi with a friendly hug, Amelia had helped Sonelle dish out the food which happened to be barbecue.

"Babe," Kofi began as he wrapped his arms around Sonelle who had been washing the barbecue sauce off her hands, "I'll head out and allow you two your bit of privacy." He gave her a gentle peck on the cheek while his arms loosened themselves from around her. Sonelle smiled drying her hands quickly and turning around to give him a peck on the lips.

"Where will you go," she asked as she watched Kofi walk his way to the door.

"Punk and I are going to this pizzeria with tons of games," Kofi relayed; his tone of voice excited.

"You're going to Chuck E. Cheeses," she asked placing her hands on her hips. Kofi scoffed and bed goodbye to both Sonelle and Amelia one last time avoiding the question. Sonelle shook her head with a smile on her face. Amelia giggled a bit as she had already begun to tear into her barbecue chicken.

"I wonder if Brittany's up right now," Amelia mumbled as she reached for the glass of Sprite that Sonelle had poured out of her.

"Maybe," Sonelle stated as she too had begun to tear her way into the barbecue chicken. "Let's call her." Amelia smiled and withdrew her phone. Dialling Brittany's number, she placed the call on speaker mode. After two rings, Brittany had answered.

"Hello," Brittany's voice asked.

"Hi, Brit," Sonelle mumbled with food still in her mouth. Brittany laughed once.

"Hi, what's up," Brittany asked once more. The girls divulged in a very interesting conversation about the recent occurrences in the WWE as well as the superstars that had been in their lives at the moment. Finally, Brittany stated, "Yeah, it sucks that they're leaving on Saturday." Sonelle muttered a 'yeah' while drinking down the rest of her Coca-Cola.

Amelia gasped loudly, "You know what we should do?" She looked at Sonelle who awaited Amelia's answer to her rhetorical question. "We should throw a small … sort of … going-away party for them just right here in one of our suites."

"Yes," Sonelle exclaimed just as excitedly as Kofi had sounded about going to Chuck E. Cheeses. "We really should. We could have it right here - my suite!"

"It should be a surprise," Brittany added. Sonelle and Amelia agreed excitedly. As Sonelle and Brittany discussed the details of the party. Amelia had selected the 'Add A Call' option on the phone adding Khaila to the call then morphing both Brittany and Khaila's call. The four girls had discussed the details of the party in full. It would be on Friday night - right after the house show Cody would be attending (11:00pm). They'd meet up earlier in the day at Sonelle's suite and ask the boys to 'pick them up' at the time Cody's show would finish. From there, the boys would arrive and the party would commence.

The plan was absolutely fool-proof. Come the night of the party, everything would be absolutely perfect … or so they _thought_.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, after discussing their recent plans, the girls had each gone their separate ways. Amelia had left Sonelle's and was now in the comfort of Cody's bedroom. "Cody," Amelia spoke as she had been unpacking the remainder of her clothes into the closet space he had provided for her. Cody, who had been laying solely in his sweat pants on the bed, tilted his head in her direction. Amelia looked back making sure she had his attention. "I'm going to go to Sonelle's during the course of your house show," she relayed while tucking away her suitcase under the bed before crawling onto the bed itself.<p>

Cody sat himself up and pulled Amelia closer to him. "Ok, love," he stated as he kept his arm around her. Amelia smiled.

"Will you pick me up after," she asked sweetly. Cody chuckled a bit and kissed her forehead.

"Sure thing, love," Cody replied giving her a smile that she returned in an instant. Amelia and Cody had both slid beneath the sheets. With her head resting on his bare chest while his hand rested against her back, the two fell asleep passively, both awaiting the daybreak of the following day.

* * *

><p>Putting down her phone, Khaila slipped herself back into bed waiting for Punk to return. As she lay there, she looked down at her stomach. She'd thought she felt it churn a bit, but dismissed the thought. Instead, she refocused on new questions - one that her friends had been asking her - had she really been pregnant? How would she know in a matter of 3 days? Khaila had no answer except … 'I just <em>know'<em>. There was no doubt that she'd felt very different after her night with Punk for reasons - other than being pregnant -she didn't know.

She heaved a heavy sigh as she looked up at the blank T.V. staring at her reflection. She could picture herself with a child, but is it really what _she _wanted? What if she had been pregnant? What would her family think? What would she do? … What would Punk do? Her mind ran circles thinking of all kinds of answers to these questions both positive and negative. Her thoughts, however, for the most part lingered at the last question she'd asked herself. If Punk left, she'd be just another ring-rat … with a baby.

As she sat up, she could feel something building in her chest. She'd been sickened at the thought of Punk just leaving her like that. Would he really, though? The sickening feeling continued to build till she realized this wasn't just a feeling. Jumping out of bed, she raced to the bathroom. Locking the door behind her, she stopped in front of the sink. She gagged for several seconds before actually vomiting. After several minutes, she had distinctly heard a knock outside the bathroom door. At this, she panicked; if it were Punk, she hadn't been willing to tell him this early.

Quickly cleaning up after herself and rinsing her mouth out, she gave the toilet a flush so as not to look too suspicious. She opened the door only to find Punk standing there with a confused look on his face. "Well, hello there," Punk said as he gave her a slight smile. Khaila had begun to feel sick again. Her legs felt as if they were wobbling, the weakness that all the throwing up had left in her was incredible. Still she fought against it putting on the best smile she could fake.

"Hi," she smiled as she swept past him and settled into bed again. Punk looked as if he were expecting a different greeting.

"Something wrong, dear," Punk asked as he neared the bed. Khaila could barely find the strength to answer his question.

"N-No," she stuttered quietly. Punk's confused look had shifted into a worried expression. Crawling onto the bed and sitting beside her, he looked down at her.

"I don't believe that," Punk whispered to her solicitously. Khaila looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She hadn't known what to tell him. She still didn't believe she were pregnant. What if all that throwing up was what she had unconsciously willed herself into? "Tell me," he whispered to her once more as he now lay next to her. Tears had flooded down onto Khaila's cheeks. Wrapping her in his arms, Punk allowed her tears to stain the front of his green shirt he'd been wearing.

Through the crying, Punk heard Khaila mumble something to him. Looking down at her, he asked, "What was that?" Khaila looked up at him, tears in her eyes and some spilt on her cheeks. Her heart had pounded hard against her chest.

"I-I …" she started. Punk brought his face closer to hers trying to hear what she'd been saying. "I have a really bad stomach ache," she relayed. Punk nodded once seemingly expecting something a bit more serious than that. With a slight smile, he kissed her forehead once more.

"Aw, don't worry about that," he told her - rubbing her back slowly and soothingly. As the two rested in bed, Khaila still being hugged into Punk's chest, her mind had worked itself overtime. She shouldn't have lied … she should've told him, but what if she wasn't pregnant? She did the right thing. She should wait longer, but what if she is? How much longer can she wait? At least the sickening feeling had died down, she thought to herself. Pushing all thoughts aside for now, Khaila rested against Punk's chest hoping to get some rest as well as peace of mind if only just for tonight.

* * *

><p>Brittany had been wrapped up in her robe as she lay on her bed beside Justin who had also wrapped himself up in his robe. Looking over at him, Brittany thought it'd be better to start her bit of the plan right then. "Just," she started drawing closer to him. Justin smiled and extended his arm around her holding her close.<p>

"Yes," he asked his tone a bit hushed. Brittany gave a slight smile before continuing on.

"I'll be going over to Sonelle's early Friday morning; we're going out to lunch. I just need you to pick me up at 11:00 in the night, please." Justin chuckled and nodded once.

"Will you need me to take you there," he asked.

"Oh, no. No, it's okay; I'll catch a cab," she answered giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you." He smiled and shrugged it off.

"No problem," he stated. Brittany gave a slight giggle as she rested her head against the softness of Justin's robe. Justin, in turn, rested his head atop Brittany's, and in an instant, both had been drifting asleep slowly - curled up in each other's arms.

* * *

><p>Several minutes after Amelia had left, Sonelle had flopped herself on her bed awaiting Kofi's arrival. As she had done so, she reflected back on everything that had happened during this trip realizing that it would soon be coming to an end. Both herself and Kofi had been growing closer and closer with every waking moment spent together; Kofi had given her a promise ring; Khaila had gotten pregnant … or at least, thought she had; they'd gone to a live wrestling event. The episodes during the trip had seemed so surreal … dream-like.<p>

A sudden thought settled into her. What would become of she and Kofi once he left? Would a long distance relationship work between them? Could it? She convinced herself it could. She'd try extra hard, she promised herself. Would Kofi be willing to do the same for her? She shook her head vigorously stopping herself from questioning her relationship at once. She had to trust it.

Suddenly, a knock resounded through the suite. Sonelle instantly smiled as she leapt up out of bed and strolled toward the door. Unlocking it, she was immediately swept up into the arms of Kofi. With a bit of a giggle, she hugged back just as tight as he had. "Hello there," he whispered to her. Sonelle smiled.

"Hi," she managed to whisper back. With a gentle kiss on her lips, Kofi had closed and locked the door behind him. Sonelle watched him with a smile on her face - the one that had always managed to place itself there whenever Kofi was around. Thinking what better time than now to lure him into the plans that the girls and herself had set up, Sonelle chimed in once more, "Kofi?"

Kofi wrapped his arms around her waist and looked into her eyes. "Yes," he asked in return. Sonelle blushed a bit as she continued.

"My friends are coming over tomorrow for a bit of lunch and just a bit of a talk," she started. As she opened her mouth to continue, Kofi held up a hand seeming to understand.

With a smile, he politely said, "Don't worry. I'll be gone by about lunchtime. I'm heading to the gym till about 5:00pm. How long will they be staying?" Sonelle smiled imagining Kofi working out in the local Atlanta gym.

"Oh, um," she said trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't seem too suspicious, "I'm not sure. At any rate, I don't think they'll leave till maybe near midnight." Kofi raised one eyebrow.

"Midnight," he asked. Sonelle nodded convincingly. Kofi chuckled once then asked, "So what time should I come over?" Sonelle shrugged a bit.

"I'll call you," she told him. Kofi nodded once more and wrapped her even tighter in his arms. Sonelle gave him a peck on his cheek, and with that, the two set off to bed. With Sonelle wrapped in Kofi's arms as they laid cuddled beneath the sheet, the smile that had once been placed on her face remained. Despite whatever doubts she may have had, she was convinced that neither of them would want to give up the feeling that their mere presence had brought to one another. Going to bed with a smile, was something Sonelle had rarely done, but with Kofi … it seemed as if this were routine.

And so, the couples slept - wrapped in their significant other's arms - awaiting the day that they'd planned so eagerly for - the day that none of them had known would possibly change everything.


	14. Chapter 14

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 14 - _**The Party**

The sunlight of the morning had lazily rolled in through Amelia and Cody's window. Crinkling her nose at the brightness of the light, Amelia awoke immediately rolling herself out of bed. Gathering up the clothes that she'd change into to go to Sonelle's place, she proceeded into the bathroom. Hoping the cold shower would relieve her of the somnolence she'd still been feeling, she stripped down and stepped into the shower. Thankfully, it had done just as she had hoped.

The shower had rejuvenated her. Quickly hopping out of the shower, she changed into the clothes that she had picked out to wear not only to go to Sonelle's suite, but what she would wear during the course of the party. Tying her hair back into a ponytail, she gave her reflection one last glance before entering the bedroom once more. She smiled a bit to herself as she watched Cody continuing to sleep soundly on the bed. As she glanced at the clock on the bedside table, it read 10:23am. Figuring that she should leave now if the girls had wanted to gather a bit of party supplies and place orders for food and drinks, Amelia placed a sweet kiss on Cody's lips before making her way downstairs.

Quickly reaching over for the stationery and pen that was on the kitchen counter, she scribbled a note reminding Cody she'd be at Sonelle's. Having written her note and contacted the cab driver she'd previously used, Amelia waited outside on the porch just as she had done before. The excitement had continued to build within her. She was itching to see Cody's face when he stepped through the door of Sonelle's suite and saw the going-away party they'd thrown for him and the remainder of the superstars that had become so important to that of Amelia's friends.

Soon, the cab had come around to the front of the house. Exiting the gate and locking it after her, Amelia slid herself into the cab which, in about 40 minutes, had taken her to Sonelle's place of stay. Compensating the cab driver, she stepped out of the cab and into the hotel. In little to no time, she'd knocked on Sonelle's suite door. In an instant, the door had flung open and Sonelle appeared dressed in jeans, a casual t-shirt and a pair of converse. She quickly assured Amelia that she would change into something a bit more party-like after.

As Amelia entered into the suite, she asked quietly, "Is Kofi here?" Sonelle shook her head.

"Nope; he left this morning for the gym," she told her. Amelia sat herself down on one of the kitchen's barstools as the pair had moved into the kitchen to discuss further plans.

"So, what all would we definitely need," Amelia asked as she gathered up a pen and paper underneath the phone book that had been placed right beside her.

"Hm, well, we'll definitely need food," and with this Amelia had begun to scribble, "drinks, streamers are fun, and," she gasped. Amelia immediately looked up from her writing. "We should get a sign," Sonelle concluded. Amelia gave an excited yes as she scribbled all of that down.

"So, food and drinks we could maybe order from the hotel; we could check with the concierge exactly where the best stores to shop for party things are and then catch a cab," Amelia suggested. Sonelle nodded excitedly. In an abrupt second, Sonelle's phone had rung out to its usual tune. Sonelle picked it up instantly.

Amelia had been reading and re-reading their list, adding details or crossing out details that she'd added in. "What," Sonelle's voice raised as she had gathered up her keys and gone into her bedroom only to return with a purse. As Amelia watched her, she quickly gathered up her own set of keys as well as the piece of paper which she stuffed into her wallet. Amelia followed Sonelle as they both left the hotel suite and entered into the lobby. "Okay, okay; yeah, I'll call you back," Sonelle spoke once more. Amelia looked at Sonelle worriedly.

"Is everything … okay," Amelia inquired concernedly. Sonelle heaved a sigh.

"I'll tell you about it later," Sonelle finally stated. Amelia gave a slight nod not sure whether to accept that answer or pursue her question. At any rate, they'd really been limited to time at the moment. With Brittany arriving at the hotel within moments, the girls traipsed over to the concierge's desk politely asking for directions to the local stores where they'd find what they would be looking for. Once the concierge had given them the name and address of the stores, he called up a taxi for them.

The girls thanked the man for his time and proceeded over to the receptionist who seemed to have been extra busy receiving calls and making them. With a small break in between the constant phone calls, the blue-eyed blonde-haired woman looked up at the girls who had assembled themselves in front of her. "Yes, may I help you," she asked politely.

"Yes, we'd just like to know if we could order say 4 dozen chicken nuggets along with its sauce, 4 bottles of red wine, about 2 plates of small finger sandwiches and one plate of cupcakes," Brittany stated all in one breath. The receptionist merely blinked thrice before Brittany had continued, "we're throwing a small party in our suite - suite 546 - tonight." The receptionist then gave a nod and picked up the phone once more.

"And what time should all this food be up at the suite for," the receptionist asked while dialling a number. Brittany looked back around at the girls who muttered '10:30'.

"At 10:30 pm," Brittany told the receptionist. With a nod, the blue-eyed receptionist placed their order with the exact information Brittany had relayed to her. Check food and drinks off the list, Amelia mentally noted. A few moments later, the cab had arrived and all three girls had climbed in. After giving the instructions to the cab driver, the cab had taken off down the streets of Atlanta. Amelia, who'd taken a seat at the window looked out gazing at the signs of the many buildings they'd been passing.

Her mind had begun to wander - not about anything in detail - just generally wander. Her thoughts bounced from those hazel eyes that she'd seen before in her dreams, to Khaila's pregnancy, and finally to the party they'd throw. With every day that had passed throughout this journey - whether good or bad - had been a memorable one. Henceforth, with this thought in mind, she was unquestionably certain that nothing would go wrong tonight.

As the cab driver had brought his cab to a stop in front of the store with a sigh with a label, 'Festivities Daily', Amelia had compensated the driver and the girls proceeded into the store. As they walked inside, they immediately took in the beauty of this store. Its walls were bright shades of pink, orange and green lined with shelves and shelves of streamers, balloons, signs, candles, centrepieces, ceiling danglers; it seemed as if everything you wanted, they had. The girls continued on, picking up a bag that had been set out to collect the party supplies in order to bring them to the counter.

The girls spent about 45 minutes in the store and collected a variety of things such as balloons, a sign and streamers as well as a few candles and small paper plates, cups and napkins. Having paid for their supplies, the cashier quickly bagged up their supplies and handed it back to them. The girls gave a polite smile before waiting outside and calling up the hotel to send a cab down their direction. "Hey, I just realized something … where's Khaila," Brittany asked as the girls had proceeded into the cab.

"I'll tell you guys later," Sonelle spoke once more. Amelia's brow raised a bit as she had been trying to figure out what else could have happened to her friend. As the cab dropped them off at the hotel once more. Again, paying the cab driver for his service, the girls raced up to Sonelle's suite. There, they immediately started decorating. Several hours had passed and they'd strung the streamers all around the outside of the kitchen and the 'living room', hung up the sign which they modified to say 'We'll Miss You', blown and tied the balloons to the chairs as well as around the suite, and placed all the paper cups, plates, and napkins on the kitchen counter.

Exhausted from all the hanging and placing, the three girls flopped back onto the couch. Amelia checked the time on her phone which read 4:21pm. Suddenly, a thought had hit her. All this time … Khaila hadn't been here. "Will you tell us now about Khaila," she asked as Sonelle had sprawled herself out on the carpet. Sonelle propped herself up on her elbows.

"Well," she started, and as she had begun to speak, both Brittany and Amelia straightened up in their seats listening attentively, "Khaila said she hadn't told Punk about the surprise party thing. She hasn't asked him to pick her up here or anything." Amelia's brow furrowed. Hadn't they all agreed on this yesterday? It had been too late to back out of it now, hadn't it?

"But why," Amelia asked as she hugged her knees into her chest. Sonelle sighed.

"She said she's been throwing up," as Sonelle relayed this information both Brittany and Amelia's mouths had gaped open. "She doesn't know for sure if it was real, though; what I mean is, she thinks she may have _willed_ herself into throwing up," Sonelle relayed again; however, Brittany and Amelia's mouth had remained agape.

Was it official now? Had Khaila truly been pregnant?

"She can still come though," Amelia said in a small voice trying desperately to shift the mood that had started to grow in the room just by the mention of the news. Sonelle gave a slight nod.

"Maybe," she said. "We just need to pick her up … without Punk knowing all about our plans," she concluded. Brittany nodded and muttered a slight 'hmm'. Both Amelia and Sonelle had turned their gaze to a now contemplating Brittany who seemed as if she had something to say.

"Why can't she just make up an excuse to Punk and then catch a cab here," Brittany asked.

"Have you not seen nor heard Punk? The man sees through lies," Amelia stated as she hugged her knees tighter into her chest. The girls each gave a slight laugh at this.

"Hold on. I wonder if Punk's even there with her," Sonelle pondered aloud. Amelia raised her eyebrows. Taking out her phone, Sonelle quickly dialled Khaila's number. After several rings, the call had finally been answered.

"Hello," a small voice sounded from the other line. By now, Brittany had taken to lying down on the couch and holding her phone above her head - texting - just as she usually had done while Amelia excused herself to the bathroom.

"Hey, Khaila, is Punk there," Sonelle asked. There was a pause on the other line before the small voice had answered once more.

"Um, no, he just left. Why," she asked as though suspicious. Sonelle chuckled a bit.

"Just asking; aren't you going to come over," Sonelle asked while laying back on the floor.

"Yes, I was just getting ready actually," she relayed to Sonelle. Sonelle muttered a small 'mm'.

"Okay, well … we'll see you in a bit, I suppose," Sonelle stated. Khaila in return replied with an 'mhm'. The two bed goodbye to each other and hung up. Amelia had finally returned from the bathroom and seated herself on the couch. All three of them awaiting their 'last piece'.

* * *

><p>Amelia had been pacing the kitchen floor arranging and rearranging cups and plates around the plates of food that had come, while Brittany and Sonelle did their make-up and hair as well as called Kofi to tell him he'd be able to come over now. As she glanced at the clock, which now read 10:50pm, she thought of where Khaila could be. Then, just as sudden as that thought had hit her, a knock came at the door. Amelia walked closer to the door and peeped through the peep hole at who it was. With a smile, she quickly opened the door and pulled the girl in. Khaila, who had been wearing a beautiful dark blue dress with black ballet flats, stumbled in at Amelia's pull. "You're here," Amelia said as she wrapped her arms around Khaila. Khaila chuckled a bit and hugged back. The two pulled away as Khaila caught a glimpse of the food and decorations.<p>

By now, the candles had been placed around the room, however, none had been lit. The lights were dimmed and the girls had placed a CD inside the stereo system set up there in the living room. "Everything looks great," Khaila commented with a smile. Amelia chuckled a bit. Just then, Brittany and Sonelle had too stepped into scene with both wearing stunning party dresses. Sonelle and Brittany had embraced Khaila just as Amelia had and retold the exciting story of how the superstars would be here at any minute now just as Khaila had informed them that she'd texted Punk as she was leaving telling him to pick her up at the specified time and place.

Suddenly, just as Sonelle had finished her sentence. There was a knock at the door. Each of the girls' hearts raced. Amelia walked forward seizing the door handle and opening it slowly. The girls behind her shouted out, "Surprise!" As Amelia appeared from behind the door to get a look at which superstar had arrived first, she'd realized that all four of them had arrived on time. Synchronization, Amelia questioned mentally as she saw all four of them step in with grins and smiles on their faces. Sonelle and Kofi had lip locked passionately neither willing to let go of one another whereas Brittany and Justin merely sat down on the couch … Brittany already in Justin's arms.

As for Punk and Khaila, they'd also seemed to lip lock intensely. In a few moments, the couples had gotten up to dance. The stereo had been blasting with music, the food had already gotten some nibbles into it, and glasses of wine had been poured out to some. As Amelia watched from the kitchen with a grin on her face, she had definitely concluded … the party had begun.


	15. Chapter 15

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 15 - _**Ring-Rat**

With each hour that passed, the crowd within the room had seemed to grow bigger and bigger and bigger. Apparently, once being told by Justin about the party and getting the 'ok' from the rest of the party-goers, Heath had taken it upon himself to invite a couple more friends … who, like any other party-goer, invited their friends, and so the chain continued. The room had been so packed that furniture was carried into the kitchen to allow room for dancing. As crowd had gotten bigger, however, the original party-goers had still stuck together … with their significant other, that is.

Kofi and Sonelle as well as Justin and Brittany had been dancing on the dance floor with each other along with the remainder of the party-goers. Amelia had stayed in the kitchen sipping on the bit of punch that the girls had made once realizing that 4 bottles of wine wouldn't fill their … guests. Suddenly a pair of arms locked themselves around her from behind. Turning around in an instant and nearly spilling the punch onto the person, Amelia expressed a small smile realizing it had been Cody. He chuckled a bit at her expression. "Didn't mean to frighten you," he whispered to her. Amelia's cheeks felt as if they'd gone extremely warm. "Would you like to dance," he asked her. Just as Amelia had opened her mouth to give her answer, something rang distinctly from Cody's pocket.

Cody looked from his pocket to Amelia giving her an apologetic look. Amelia merely shrugged it off and kissed his cheek lightly before whispering to him, "You gotta do what you gotta do." Cody gave a slight chuckle as he stepped outside of the suite to answer his cell phone. Amelia sighed as she watched him go. His phone had been ringing non-stop that night. With one of her hands tucked away into the pockets of her jeans, Amelia thought it nice to wander around the partying suite. As she made her way out of the kitchen and slid herself out of the crowded hallway and into another room, she'd notice a group of guys and girls having a party of their own in there.

In an instant, she quickly left that room and proceeded back into the kitchen. The party-goers had been everywhere. Devouring the food, chugging down drinks, dancing on the dance floor, sitting on counters, they had been doing every and anything. Amelia looked around for one couple she hadn't seen together since the rush of the crowd had started. Craning her neck and even moving closer to the bumping and grinding crowds, Amelia still hadn't caught sight of Punk and Khaila. Taking out her phone, she thought long and hard about texting Khaila.

Suppose both she and Punk had been … doing something. She definitely wouldn't want to interrupt that. She sighed and placed her phone in her pocket once more. Giving another quick glance at the crowded dance floor, she'd finally spotted something. There from within the crowd was a petite girl fighting her way desperately out of it and rushing down the hallway. Amelia looked at her confused. Rushing on after her, she'd caught Khaila's arm. Khaila turned around startled. "What's wrong," she asked Khaila immediately.

"N-Nothing," she told Amelia playing her best smile. "I just needed some fresh air," she relayed. Amelia raised one eyebrow.

"In the bathroom," she asked as her arms folded themselves across her chest. Khaila gave a nervous laugh before departing down the hallway. Amelia sighed and shook her head. Everything's fine, she assured herself subliminally, don't work yourself up … this is a party. You should be having fun, she thought to herself once more. Finally accepting the advice she'd given to herself, Amelia made her way back into the kitchen and poured herself a fresh new glass of punch.

Amelia giggled occasionally at the amount of hilarity that had been brought on by the party-goers dancing. Whether they had intended it to be funny or not, it had definitely amused those watching. Amelia watched as Sonelle and Kofi broke away from the crowd and proceeded into the kitchen - gathering up a plate of food. Sonelle, with Kofi's arm around her, gave Amelia a smile as she asked, "Alright, Amelia?" Amelia nodded once before taking a sip of her punch and giving her a smile in return.

Amelia watched as the couple proceeded back into the crowd only to lead themselves outside to the veranda. Justin and Brittany on the other hand had kept up with their dancing and they were quite good as Amelia noted. Looking over at the suite door, waiting for Cody to reappear at any second, Amelia sighed. She wanted to ask him who had been calling him, but … she felt that it might not be her place. Not yet anyways. Amelia stared down into the drink that she'd had in her hand.

Suddenly a hand had touched her arm from behind, Amelia's face lit up thinking that Cody had returned; however, as she turned around, she had been slightly disappointed to see that it was just another party-goer asking for a napkin. Amelia gave a quick smile and handed him a napkin. He departed muttering a small thanks' at Amelia. Cody's phone calls had seemed to be getting in the way of their special party. Amelia shook her head a bit. She mustn't think that way. His calls are probably all business … she shouldn't get in the way of that.

Still, the thought had bothered her. Was Cody willing to take business over her? Amelia sighed and pushed the thought away refocusing on having fun at this once small party. Finally, sipping her last bit of punch from out of the cup, she felt it best to quickly check on Khaila in the bathroom as she hadn't seen her emerge from the hallway. Taking another glance at the suite door, hoping maybe Cody would come in at any time now she stopped; however, after a couple minutes had passed, she sighed and proceeded down the hallway. Making her way through the bit of people that crowded the narrow hallway, she'd nearly reached until a door had swung open nearly knocking her backwards off of her feet.

A hand had caught hers just as she had been about to fall. "Thank you," she breathed breathlessly before looking up at the stranger. As she looked up, however, she realized it to be a smiling CM Punk. He chuckled a bit.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized. Amelia shook her head now giving him a bit of a smile before opening her mouth to ask what she had previously set out for. Although she had remembered coming down the hall for something, her mind hadn't seemed … or been willing to, at any rate, reveal it to her. It was almost as if this collision with Punk had brought on a sense of amnesia. Punk returned her bit of a smile. As the two tried to step past each other, they'd met up again face-to-face. Trying once more, they had failed. Amelia let out a slight giggle.

Punk placed his hands on Amelia's arms holding her still while he stepped around her. "Sorry," it was Amelia's turn to apologize. Punk merely smiled and shrugged.

"It's no problem-" in an instant, he was cut off mid-sentence, for the already narrow hallway had received an insane rush of people. Punk had been knocked into Amelia and both had been pressed against the wall just like many others who had harboured around this area. The music seemed to increase as did the temperature. Amelia had taken a glance up and down at Punk's lips and his hazel brown eyes - her mind now numb and mute. She hadn't known whether it had been the pushing of the crowd or Punk himself, but she had distinctly noticed his lips moving closer, and with this she could feel her chest and his heave in synchronization.

Then … it happened.

* * *

><p>Sonelle and Kofi had made it back inside the suite with an empty plate of food in Kofi's hands. Agreeing that four chicken fingers hadn't been enough, they decided to head back to the kitchen to look for more. While Kofi rounded up some more chicken fingers onto their plate, Sonelle poured him a glass of wine and herself a glass of punch. Suddenly, a hand had placed itself on her shoulder. Spinning around on her heel nearly spilling the drinks, she stood in front of a worried Cody.<p>

"Hey, have you seen Amelia," he asked concernedly looking over Sonelle's shoulder from time to time in case he'd spotted her. Sonelle shook her head.

"No, sorry, the last time I saw her she was here behind the counter," she relayed as Kofi had come to his side. Cody's face seemed to grow with more worry than before. Still, he thanked the couple and continued on into the crowd of people in the living room asking those who'd known of Amelia about her whereabouts. Sonelle and Kofi stood near the counter angling just how they'd enter through the crowd without spilling both their drinks and food.

Just then, another couple had joined them - Brittany and Justin. Panting from exhaustion of dancing and making their way through the crowd, they stood beside Sonelle and Kofi. Sonelle laughed. "Tired," she asked Brittany nonchalantly.

"More like exhausted," Brittany relayed while tying her hair back into a ponytail. Justin smiled as his arm worked itself around her and onto her waist. Kofi and Sonelle chuckled a bit at the panting couple. "Are you guys enjoying your party," she asked looking from Justin to Kofi. Kofi laughed a bit.

"It's not as intimate as I would've imagined, but yes, it's fun," he said as he looked down at Sonelle. Sonelle gave a bright smile before receiving a kiss on her lips from Kofi. Justin, in the meanwhile, smiled down at Brittany and whispered in her ear.

"Everything's just perfect," he relayed allowing every strand on Brittany's body to stand up and a smooth chill to run through her. Then, suddenly, everything had gone dark. The music had been shut off and the A.C. had stopped. The room suddenly grew quieter with slight murmurs as to what had been happening. Justin had held onto Brittany tighter, whereas Kofi and Sonelle had been passionately kissing the entire while. Once breaking their kiss, Sonelle gave a sudden jump at the darkness of the room.

"What happened," she asked Kofi in a whisper. Although she could barely see him, she felt him shrug a bit.

"I suppose it's a blackout," he told her. Sonelle let out a slight laugh.

"I thought the hotels were supposed to have a generator," she replied. Kofi chuckled a bit. Suddenly, there came a scream from down the corridor. People piled out of the corridor as many merely stared down the black corridor. Then, in an instant, all the lights and music had been back up. Pressing pause on the stereo, Cody had stood up on speaker box surveying the crowd.

"Is everyone alright," he asked looking at those whose faces had bore worry-struck and down-right frightened expressions. The party-goers looked around at each other muttering and murmuring a 'yes'. "Is everyone … here," Cody asked once more still surveying the crowd. Again, everyone muttered and murmured a 'yes'. Then suddenly from out of the crowd, a petite girl shoved through looking terrified.

"I can't find Punk," she expressed to Cody. Cody raised one eyebrow scoping around at the many party-goers for any sign of him. From the corridor, once more came a scream - this time followed by a rather loud moan after which many of people in the room had reached for the doorknob to the suite's door. Some of them muttered 'ghosts' before leaving while the others looked much too terrified to move. Cody hopped off the speaker and flicked the lights on to their highest setting. Many of the party-goers watched as Cody started down the 'haunted hallway'; however, he hadn't seemed to be alone. Just behind him followed Kofi, Sonelle, Brittany, Justin and Khaila. The six moved down the hall listening keenly to every door.

Suddenly, they'd stopped at one near the back. There hadn't been another scream since they'd last heard it. Cody pressed his ear to the door listening carefully to what may have been inside. What Cody heard, however, had made his blood boil and his skin crawl like one's would as if talked about behind one's back; however, what Cody heard had not been an insult to him, but it had been worse … much worse.

"Punk," a woman's voice sounding very much like Amelia's moaned. Cody's hand gripped the door handle with such strength that it looked as if it were about to be pulled straight out. Ripping his ear from the door, he twisted the doorknob … however, it had been locked. Cody pushed his followers behind him as he too stepped back and sent a kick to the door, kicking it wide open. What the six had seen next, left everyone awestruck.


	16. Chapter 16

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 16 - _**The Aftermath**

Punk had been lying directly on top of Amelia with only a sheet covering his lower back and down. Amelia's naked body had been shielded by Punk's. The two breathed deeply as both their hearts raced not just because of their interrupted episode but at the sight of witnesses, those of which consisted of the disappointed, the betrayed, the shocked and the heartbroken. Amelia's eyes had now filled themselves to the brim with tears as she watched Cody's chest heave and his face glow red, with tears equally stinging his eyes. How could she! Khaila, who had been in utmost shock, merely looked at the two, tears spilling out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Amelia frowned a bit as she watched the disgusted and disappointed expressions of her friends as they eyed both she and Punk. Cody had been the first to turn away followed by Khaila then the rest of the group.

The door had seemed to swing itself back closed. Amelia looked at Punk who seemed to be just as disappointed in himself as Amelia was with herself. Punk rolled off of her and rested on his back staring up at the ceiling. Amelia sat up turning her back towards up and staring at the closed door. Everything had seemed to settle into her now. She'd lost. She'd lost everything - her friends, their trust, love … Cody. Mentally, she hadn't been concerned if Punk happened to walk out of the room leaving her behind here. In fact, she'd been waiting for it to happen. She closed her eyes shutting away tears that seemed to be wanting to overflow onto her cheeks. Just then, a hand had placed itself in the middle of her back.

Amelia jumped a bit as she looked back at Punk who had been sitting behind her wearing solely boxers. Punk could see the tear stains on her cheeks. He offered a hand, and Amelia stared at it unwilling to take it at first. She heard Punk give a slight chuckle and she looked up at him. Chuckling? He'd really been _chuckling_? Punk picked up her hand and pulled her nearer to him. Amelia looked up at him part alarmed, part askance, and part … affectionately. Amelia now sat beside him using a pillow to shield her naked self. Punk looked at her while gnawing on his lip contemplating what to say … if there were anything that need be said. Amelia couldn't look at his eyes. She'd felt utterly ashamed of herself. How could she do something like this?

With her hands clutching the pillow in front of her, she merely stared down at the bed. Tears had started to fall onto her cheeks once more then dripped onto the pillow. Suddenly, a finger had placed itself under her chin turning it in his direction. Amelia looked up unable to see anything with the blur that the tears had been causing. Punk gnawed on his lip one last time debating on whether or not to experiment what he'd been thinking. Amelia looked at him confusedly, but her heart still raced with a bit of care for him. Punk's lips neared hers once more; Amelia solely froze thinking had he really been willing to do this all again? Suddenly, right as they were about to crash into hers they stopped. Amelia had noticed something rolling down his cheek whether it had been a bead of sweat or a tear, she hadn't known. Can you lose anything if you have nothing, she thought to herself as she leaned her lips in closer, trembling with doubt and fear and … humiliation.

Their lips touched one another's and fused for a minute before being pulled away. Amelia looked up at him her breath still uneasy and her mind in a tizzy. Punk seemed to be much calmer, though there was a certain air of disquiet about him just by the way he looked at her. Amelia's breathing had gotten deeper as she prepared herself once more for Punk to get up and leave her there in her sadness, betrayal and stork- nakedness; however, he didn't leave. He remained there apparently waiting for her to say something … to do something. Amelia's lip trembled as she opened her mouth to speak. Punk looked at her instantly.

"You don't have to say anything," he whispered to her in assurance. This had made tears sting Amelia's eyes. Why was he being so nice? He stretched a hand to her face letting his warm palm caress her tear-stained cheek.

"I don't …" Amelia started before looking up at him her tears pouring even onto his hand, "I don't understand." Punk looked at her quizzically apparently not understanding what she hadn't understood.

"Wh-What," he asked in a whisper. Amelia steadied her breathing a bit.

"Why don't you leave," she asked her voice breaking at the last word. Punk's hand dropped from her cheek and was placed on his knee. He looked towards her once more and shrugged. Amelia scowled at him. Was he absolutely serious? He doesn't _know_ why he hadn't left yet? Amelia had grown angry at this; did he honestly think she was up to play mind games at the state they were both in? Amelia's breathing picked up in deepness. "You don't know," she asked through her teeth.

"Sorry, I don't," Punk said casually. Amelia rose from her seat on the bed and quickly gathered up her clothes changing into them immediately. Punk chuckled as he watched her. "So, are you leaving me now," he asked as he too rose up out of the bed and pulled on his pants and shirt. Amelia shrugged and pinned her hair up in a ponytail once more. Punk laughed. "Oh … that's how we're playing," he asked rhetorically. Amelia scowled back at him.

"Do you think this is a game, Punk," she asked with conviction in her voice. Punk seemed to be taken aback; however, this look hadn't lasted long.

"Are you really going to ask me that," he asked raising his voice. "We both just lost possibly two most important people we had in our lives, and you really think I feel that this is all a _game_," he asked absolutely unable to fathom just the mere thought of it. Amelia stood her ground.

"Then why didn't you -" Amelia began to shout.

"- because I'm too nice, that's why. That kiss was an experiment; I wanted to see if I had truly felt something; do you know why? It's because I wouldn't want to be known as someone who bangs a chick then leaves right after the job's done, but you know what? Fine. If you want me to leave, then I'll be glad to, because frankly I'd much rather have a one-night-stand with Khaila than a relationship with you," he shouted at her as he raced out of the room and down the hallway calling Khaila's name. Amelia continued to stand her ground even after the door had swung closed again. Her tears flooded onto her cheeks and down her chin splattering in her hands as she held them up to her face.

After a couple of minutes, she stopped. She had to. She couldn't stay here. She needed to leave. Now. She needed to find Cody. Amelia briskly walked down the hallway, but abruptly stopped at the kitchen as both Sonelle and Brittany who had been whispering together now quieted themselves. "H-Have you seen Cody," Amelia asked. Brittany nor Sonelle looked at her; however, one of them had answered.

"Haven't you done enough damage," Sonelle asked as she focused on gathering up the left over plates after the party. Amelia's heart raced.

"Where is he," she asked again. She saw Brittany shrug before exiting the kitchen and proceeding into the bathroom. Amelia turned away and strode through the door. Where could he be? The lobby, she thought to herself excitedly as she briskly walked down the hall to where the elevators had been. Amelia must've pressed the 'L' button on the elevator for quite sometime. Suddenly, the doors had opened. Amelia squeezed herself to fit through them just as they'd been opening. Stepping out into the lobby, her heart had sunk. He wasn't there … Cody was gone, and she had been all alone. No friends. No Cody. Nobody.

* * *

><p>Punk hadn't known where he would check first whether it be at the house, or at her suite. Punk raced down to her suite and knocked rapidly on the door. "Khaila, Khaila please … please, I need to talk to you," Punk shouted at the door as he continued to knock. "Khaila, please -"<p>

"What do you want," a voice from behind him sounded. Punk turned around and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Khaila squirmed out from his grip. Punk looked at her confusedly. "You don't get it, Punk," Khaila told him. As she moved into the light now, her eyes had been bloodshot and her face had dried tears all over it. At this, Punk's throat had begun to knot a bit.

"I do. I get it now," he said as he continued to hold her close. Khaila once more squirmed out of his grip and shook her head. "Please, I'm sorry. I-I love you," Punk pleaded with her. Khaila's eyes had begun to tear up once more as she shook her head vigorously.

"That's a lie," she muttered to him. "You don't get it; you really _don't _get it! I gave you everything, just for you to have sex with my best friend at a party that _I_ helped plan for _you_," Khaila had raised her voice a bit; however, she regained her calm.

"Please, Khaila … I'm sorry; I shouldn't have. I realize my error and I'm sorry," Punk pleaded once more, but Khaila simply shook her head. As she stepped around him reaching for the handle to her door suite, Punk had started once more, "What do you want me to do?" Khaila scoffed as she opened her suite door and turned around to look at him.

"Nothing … except know that I'll be naming our son River," she stated placing a hand over her stomach. Punk's eyes looked down at where her hand had been. His face seemed to be petrified at what had come to mind. As he stepped forward to clarify what Khaila had told him, she'd closed the door in his face. Punk sighed finally defeated. He proceeded back down to the parking lot seating himself in the driver's seat and driving away from the hotel.

Khaila, now flopped herself on her bed, contemplating what had just happened. Her head had begun to ache from all the crying she'd done over Punk and Amelia. She, however, refocused on what had just transpired between her and Punk. Why had she told him she were pregnant if she, herself, hadn't been sure yet? She supposed it to be the spur of the moment. She sighed, turning over on her side looking at the wall in front of her, allowing her brain to calm itself down, and in a few moments, she'd fallen asleep.

* * *

><p>Amelia had been dialling Cody's number over and over only to get the sound of his voicemail at the end of its ringing. Finally after seven attempts, she stowed her phone back into her pocket. She looked inside her wallet at her passport and plane ticket that she'd always kept in there. Was she serious about this? Did she really want to leave it all behind? What about her suitcase … everything? With a sigh, Amelia finally figured that she didn't need it. She just had to leave, and she had to leave now.<p>

As she caught a cab from the hotel, she gave the cab driver the instructions to the airport. After about an hour and a half, Amelia had paid the cab driver and entered into the airport. Previously, before dialling Cody's number, she'd dialled another's - her travel agent's. She'd requested the adjustment of her ticket from 5:00pm on Sunday to 8:00am Saturday morning. After her agent had confirmed everything with the airline as Amelia had done once she'd arrived, she sat calmly at her gate waiting for 8:00am to come. As she looked at her watch, it read '4:30am'. This would be a long wait, she thought to herself as she slouched in her seat and drifted off to sleep.

Several hours later, she'd awoken to the sound of shuffling in the background. There had been people all over the airport running around and buying quick presents, or seating themselves in their proper gates. Amelia looked at her watch; 7:55am was what it read. Holding her wallet closer to her, Amelia rose to her feet as the airport employee called for all those with plane tickets to Chicago, Illinois on flight 0528. Having boarded the plane, Amelia took her seat next to the window and looked out at the place that had supposedly promised clear skies and happiness to her, but instead had left her in a very stormy aftermath of events.

Closing her window, Amelia had slouched once more in her seat allowing her eyelids, now heavy from lack of sleep and crying, to close as she rested her way back to Chicago.


	17. Chapter 17

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 17 - _**Gone**

Kofi and Sonelle had woken up at around 11:30 that morning. Sonelle, propping herself up on her elbows, looked around at the room they'd slept in. It hadn't been their bedroom, instead … it was the couch that had been moved into the kitchen so as to provide a space for the amount of people on the dance floor during the party. She looked over at Kofi who had seemed wide awake as well. Neither had mentioned last night's occurrence again. It was simply just too unfathomable.

Kofi too sat up looking around at the messy suite. He gave a slight chuckle as he glanced at a chip that had been stuck to the door. Sonelle looked at him not knowing what to say or do. She had still been in shock. Had she really seen what she thought she saw? Maybe it was all a dream, she thought to herself. Sighing and realizing that this was nothing more than wishful thinking, she rose up from the couch. She'd still been wearing her party-going attire. She could feel Kofi's eyes stare at her as she walked into the living room and then back into the kitchen. Kofi raised one eyebrow as his lips pulled themselves into a small smile. "Are you okay," he asked as he too had gotten to his feet. Sonelle gave a small 'mhm' before peering into the fridge. Kofi took both her hands and held it in his. Sonelle, who had now been turned and who had been facing him now, looked up into his eyes. "You don't seem like it," he whispered to her.

Sonelle looked down at the couch they'd both slept on. During her restless night, she'd not only been thinking about what Amelia and Punk had done nor had she been solely contemplating the fact that both Khaila and Cody must've been hurting incredibly, but she thought of herself and Kofi. It was now the end of his trip, and who knows when she'd see him again. There had been so much that she'd wanted them to do together … one of them being to bond, not just emotionally, but … on a physical level. She'd gone back and forth in her mind. Did she really want to have sex with him and watch him leave? Or did she want to wait for about 5 to 6 months before she saw him again? … If she saw him again. She looked back up at Kofi who had seemed even more confused than before. "I'm just worried," she said with her voice already beginning to tremble. Kofi's brows furrowed as he looked at her and stepped closer.

Sonelle had been absolutely captivated by his deep brown eyes. "Worried," he asked in a whisper. Sonelle nodded slowly then looked away from his brown eyes and back to the couch. "What are you worried about," Kofi asked as he took one of his hands and placed a finger under her chin tilting it up at him. Sonelle stared into his eyes once more with hers that had begun to tear up.

"Us," she whispered. Kofi gave a small smile; apparently, he'd been expecting her to worry about this. He pulled her closer to him so that they were now both chest to chest. Their chests harmoniously rose and fell together with every breath that they took. She felt Kofi pick up her hand and hold it up about shoulder height so they could both see it. Kofi's eyes shifted to her hand and Sonelle's eyes followed. She'd realized that Kofi hadn't just picked up any one of her hands, but the one with the promise ring on it. He twirled the ring around on her finger before looking at her once more. Sonelle looked back into his eyes. While neither of them spoke, Sonelle had seemed to understand; however, as much as she wish she could've been inspired by the fact that Kofi had reminded her of the promise ring, she was still doubtful. Kofi, apparently sensing this, gave another chuckle and proceeded to speak.

"I know," he whispered to her. "I know you're scared … and worried … and unsure about our relationship after this," he continued. Sonelle merely looked up at him - her eyes watering for reasons she hadn't known. Kofi brought his face closer to hers as he whispered in her ear, "But you don't have to be. Sonelle, I love you more than I ever thought was possible, and you know that you mean the world to me." He placed a peck on her cheek before continuing to whisper in her ear, "And those aren't just words. I mean it … with every inch of my being, I mean it. You have this extraordinary gift of making me smile," he paused then looked at her. Sonelle's eyes had been swimming in tears even though she bore a smile on her face. "Sonelle, you are my happiness, and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world," he concluded.

Finally, the tears that she'd fought hard to restrain had flooded out onto her cheeks. She buried her face in Kofi's chest as she allowed her tears to run down his shirt. Kofi held her tight, resting his chin on her head. The both of them had stayed there for quite a while, but it hadn't bothered either. Silence had pervaded throughout the entire suite, however, it brought more comfort than awkwardness. Although the two hadn't known whether they would see each other again, they were sure of one thing … their relationship would survive, if not solely on promises, then … on love.

* * *

><p>The morning light had crawled into Justin and Brittany's once dark and cosy bedroom. Brittany cringed a bit as the light had fallen over her face. Justin, instinctively seemed to hold her tighter in his arms. Brittany's eyes blinked a bit before opening. Escaping from Justin's arms, Brittany rose up off the bed and walked herself into the bathroom. In there, she closed the door and sat … thinking, just thinking. She and Justin had talked briefly about the scandal, but she'd failed to bring up the fact that she was absolutely disgusted by Amelia's actions and that of Punk's. As if Brittany hadn't enough to worry about with her own relationship in terms of how long she and Justin would be able to keep it up while he were away, she'd worried about Khaila … and even Cody. What they must've been feeling would be just indescribable.<p>

Pushing all the thoughts of Khaila, Cody, Amelia and Punk aside, she'd refocused on the thought that had her thrashing about in her sleep for the most part. She'd been wondering whether or not Justin would take a break from her or try to keep their relationship as a long-distance thing. At any rate, she hadn't been sure if she could handle either. As much as she was willing to try to sustain a relationship with Justin and as much as she desperately wanted to, she questioned whether or not she, herself, would be able to. She loved Justin more than she will ever let him know, and she couldn't stand the thought of all that she'd felt for him come to an end because of a couple of miles. She'd convinced herself that she would try, whatever the outcome would be at the end, she at least had the right to say she tried.

"Brittany," a voice came from the other side of the door followed by a knock. Brittany jumped a bit as the suddenness of this had caught her off guard. Rising from her seat on the floor, she opened the door. Justin looked at her inquiringly. They'd both stared at each other for quite an interval of time before Brittany had wrapped her arms around Justin tightly and hugged him. Justin chuckled a bit before hugging her back. "Is everything okay," he asked as he looked down at her. Brittany neither nodded nor shook her head; she stayed there holding onto Justin as if she were in a stasis. Justin rubbed her back soothingly until she'd finally looked up at him, her throat beginning to tighten as she stared into the face of the man she wouldn't see for who knows how long. Justin had apparently sensed this as he led her took both her hands from around him and held it in his using his thumb to massage the inside of her palm slowly. "Darling," he whispered to her before placing his lips on her forehead.

Brittany's eyes had begun to fill with tears. She didn't want him to go; she understood that he had to, but she'd never felt this way about any other being - let alone a man before. She'd truly loved Justin. Justin shook his head as he saw the tears building in her eyes. "Don't cry," he whispered as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Just tell me what's wrong," he whispered slowly to her.

Brittany shut her eyes keeping the building tears from overflowing onto her cheeks. "What's going to happen to us," she asked allowing her voice to show no sign that her throat had been knotting. Justin merely looked at her.

"Is anything supposed to happen to us," he asked casually. Brittany sighed and turned her gaze away from him. Instead, she refocused on the bed they'd just woke up from. Brittany could feel his lips against her cheek, and this made her shoot her gaze right back at him. "I'm not leaving you," he said as he looked directly into her eyes. Brittany smiled a bit, though she only half-heartedly believed it. Justin's lips curved into a slight frown as he'd picked up on this. "I understand," he whispered. "Words are simply words, and actions speak far more than they do, but choices are what define us," he continued as Brittany continued to look up at him.

"And how are you defined," she asked in a whisper as well. Justin gave a smirk.

"As someone who's chosen the right choice," he replied.

"What's your choice," she inquired once more.

"You," he whispered. Brittany smiled and wrapped her arms around him once more hugging him tight. Justin did the same while laying his head on hers, and at this moment, Brittany could feel the genuineness of his answer. She felt that he'd loved her just as much - if not more - than she had loved him. As the two remained wrapped in each other's arms, Brittany had developed the answer to the question that had been haunting her - how would this work? Hugging Justin tighter and feeling his hands rub her back soothingly, she answered subliminally, it just … will.

* * *

><p>With her blue headphones stuck onto her ears, Khaila had listened to her dubstep songs while cramming the last bit of clothing into her suitcase. As traumatic as last night had been for her - concerning what she'd seen and what she'd said - she'd told herself that she wouldn't allow it to ruin her. She was betrayed, hurt, and heartbroken all in one night … she turned her music up on her iPod louder. She'd forced herself to focus on upcoming things. She had school on Monday, art classes, they had to catch their plane back home, there were too many things to think about opposed to … the party. She shook her head once more possibly trying to physically shake away those thoughts. Zipping her suitcase closed, she surveyed her hotel suite for anything that she may have missed.<p>

Suddenly, she'd noticed something white under the bed. Crouching on her knees, she fished under the bed for the white piece of cloth. As she retrieved it however, she'd realized it was no ordinary piece of cloth. It was a shirt, the exact one she'd worn after their - after the Monday night RAW that she and Sonelle had attended. Sitting on her heels, she'd spread the shirt in her lap. Slowly, she slipped her headphones off and set them down beside her. "Why, Punk," she whispered as she stared at the shirt that had belonged to a man she had once thought she'd loved. Tears had begun to flow down her cheek, and she allowed them to. At this point, she hadn't cared. Punk had had sex with Amelia, one of her best friends. Nothing would be able to mend that. Absolutely nothing. She stroked the shirt absently as her mind had set itself adrift.

_Picking up her clothes from off of the living room floor, she quickly threw them on and folded Punk's shirt - handing it back to him. Punk shook his head. "You keep it," he encouraged once checking that everything that needed to be packed had been. _

_Khaila smiled and held the shirt in her arms._

Her eyes had grown watery again, and she debated long and hard whether or not she'd keep it or leave it here. Suddenly, several knocks on her door had stirred her. "Khaila, come on! We've got to go," a voice sounding very much like Brittany's had yelled. Khaila glanced back down at the shirt still unable to make up her mind. The knocks had resounded through the hotel suite, louder this time.

"I'm coming," Khaila called back as she rose to her feet putting her headphones back on and tucking the shirt away into her hand bag. Quickly taking both her hand bag and suitcase, she opened the suite door. Standing there were Brittany and Justin and Sonelle and Kofi already readily packed and anxiously waiting. Khaila's cheeks flushed a shade of red as she too withdrew from her suite and the five set off down the hallway. In a few moments, they had checked out of both hotels, returned the rented vehicles and seated themselves in their instructed gates at the airport. Since the girls' flight hadn't left until about an hour after the superstars', the girls' waited at the superstars' gate with them all except for Khaila who had volunteered to stay at their own gate just in case. Both Brittany and Sonelle had known what that 'just in case' was, so they agreed to let her stay behind and watch their bags.

With Brittany, Justin, Kofi and Sonelle all standing together, the four conversed fondly with each other. Just as Kofi had joked about something that Edge and Christian had done a while back, Sonelle noticed a familiar face looking over at them. His green/blue eyes seemed as if they were looking for someone, but at the same time, not looking for someone. "Do you see Cody," Sonelle had whispered to Brittany while Kofi and Justin continued to laugh at memories they'd had about the business. Brittany gave a nonchalant glance at him and looked back at Sonelle.

"What about him," Brittany asked.

"He looks like he's maybe looking for someone … maybe looking for Amelia," she whispered to Brittany. Brittany glanced back one more time. Her expression had changed as she turned back to Sonelle.

"Do you think so," she whispered back. Sonelle nodded. "Hang on, where is Amelia," she asked Sonelle. It appeared as if that thought had just struck Sonelle as well.

"Do you think she's still at the hotel," Sonelle asked Brittany quickly while taking out her phone ready to dial Amelia's number. Brittany merely shrugged looking quite unconcerned about whether or not Amelia made it to the airport or not. Sonelle simply looked at her.

"If she couldn't realize that what she was doing last night was betraying and wounding her best friend and boyfriend, how do we expect her to realize what airport or flight or gate she were to be at," Brittany commented. Sonelle let out a slight sigh. Excusing herself from the circle, she walked herself over a bit and dialled the hotel's number.

A womanly voice answered the phone clearly, "Hello, Castleberry Inn & Suites Hotel, how may I help you?"

"Yes, I would like to know if there's an Amelia Rose there in suite 558," Sonelle asked just as politely as the woman had answered.

"One moment, please," the woman excused herself. After a few minutes, she'd returned. "I'm sorry, ma'am, there doesn't seem to be anyone here with that name. It appears, however, that there had been an Amelia Rose staying here, but she checked out on Tuesday," the woman concluded. Sonelle's confusion had just doubled. Not only had she not known that Amelia had checked out before their checking out time, but she now had absolutely no clue where Amelia was.

"Thank you," Sonelle finally said before stowing her phone back into her pocket. As she walked over back to the group, Kofi placed an arm around her kissing her temple gently.

"Everything alright, dear," Kofi asked her in a whisper. Sonelle looked up at him and played her best smile that she could and nodded. Kofi didn't have to worry about anything else because of her. The drama between her friends was exactly that … between _her_ friends. Kofi chuckled a bit and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. It was not too long before the airport employee had called for their flight. Both Sonelle and Brittany could feel their hearts sink a bit as the superstars stiffened and looked toward their exit.

With a tight embrace, Justin had swept Brittany up in his arms and given a passionate kiss on her lips. Brittany's arms locked themselves around Justin's neck as she too kissed back with intensity. Both of them had stayed like that for minutes before finally separating their lips from each other's. Just as they'd pulled away, Justin had delivered another peck on her lips then on her forehead as the two embraced one final time. Withdrawing from their embrace, Brittany folded her arms giving Justin a last comforting smile as she watched him disappear through the passageway.

Both Sonelle and Kofi had locked each other in a tight embrace unwilling to let go. When they had, however, Sonelle's tears had fallen onto her cheeks. Kofi gave her a slight smile placing both his hands on her cheeks looking deeply into her eyes. "It's not goodbye," he whispered. She gave a slight nod and the two embraced lovingly once more only to withdraw within minutes. Sonelle had inched closer to Brittany as she too watched Kofi enter through the passageway, and so, the other superstars had followed; within minutes, Sonelle and Brittany stared out at the plane, that had been carrying their loves, slowly depart from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Both girls had returned back to their own gate to find Khaila shuffling through her iPod with her headphones still stuck onto her ears. Neither had said a word to each other simply because there was nothing left to say. Nothing could be said about their trip to Georgia. Although Sonelle had been itching to share the bit of information she'd had about Amelia, she thought it better not to, for the girls' had other things on their minds. As time moved on, the girls had been called to their flight and boarded onto the plane. As Brittany, Sonelle and Khaila had taken their seats, only two of the three had been placed next to one another - Brittany and Sonelle. Khaila sat at another window-seat looking out at the airport and the city. Several minutes after take-off, Khaila reached into her hand bag and pulled the shirt out laying it on her lap and stroking it from time to time. As much as she had wanted to hate Punk, she loved him - far too much, she told herself - but nonetheless, she'd felt something special with Punk; whatever it may have been, something was definitely there - something irreplaceable.

Several moments had passed before the girls had touched down in Chicago and settled themselves back into their apartments. Brittany had already unpacked her suitcase and stowed it neatly under her bed while Sonelle dropped it on her bed and flopped herself on Brittany's one. She looked at Brittany who seemed to be flipping through T.V. channels rather quickly. If there was no other time to break the news to Brittany about Amelia, it was now. "So, you know when I stepped aside and made a call," she asked Brittany who muttered a small 'mhm' still flipping through the television channels at light speed. "Well, I called the hotel to check if Amelia had still been there; when the receptionist checked … she told me that Amelia had checked out as of Tuesday," she told Brittany. Brittany instantly looked at Sonelle.

"What do you mean she checked out on Tuesday," Brittany inquired almost concerned. "Where could she go," she asked once more.

"Doesn't Cody live in Georgia … Marietta, I think. Maybe she stayed there," Sonelle supposed. Brittany folded her arms and gnawed on her lip contemplating all of this.

"But what about after the affair … do you -" Brittany began until suddenly, a loud series of knocks had sounded on Sonelle and Brittany's door. Brittany hastily left the room followed by Sonelle and quickly opened their apartment door. Khaila rushed in bearing a startled expression on her face. Sonelle and Brittany quickly closed the apartment door and sat her down in the living room. "Khaila, what's wrong," Brittany asked. Khaila looked at them both panicky.

"Amelia's gone," she exclaimed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 18 -_ **Turmoil**

Brittany and Sonelle exchanged worried looks with each other before looking back up at Khaila. "What do you mean gone," Brittany asked uncertainly. Khaila looked petrified with worry as she looked from Brittany to Sonelle.

Khaila reached into her pocket and smoothed out a piece of crumpled paper. She laid it out in her lap and both Brittany and Sonelle had begun to read.

_I'm sorry. I'm in Chicago. I'll be fine._

_Amelia_

Sonelle's brow furrowed as she thought where Amelia could possibly be. The room had fell silent as the girls' had all contemplated the whereabouts of Amelia. Khaila had buried her face in her hands thinking how their situation had gone from bad to worse. Brittany had now seated herself on the couch and stared blankly at her lap. "At least we know she's alright," Sonelle whispered a bit. Khaila looked up at Sonelle who hastily answered the question she knew they were bound to ask, "Well, she's in Chicago. She'll find her way around." Both Brittany and Khaila had stared at Sonelle with every word she spoke. Finally, Brittany let out a sigh.

"You're right; at any rate, we'll probably see her around. She couldn't have wandered too far, right," Brittany asked as if somehow looking for reassurance. Sonelle gave a comforting and affirmative nod. Khaila, however, hadn't known what to say. Amelia had betrayed her in every sense. Could she really be concerned about her? Somehow the girls had sensed Khaila's confliction and quickly distracted her. "How about we order some food," Brittany asked as she drew nearer to Khaila. "Your pick," she told Khaila.

Khaila had seemed to snap out of her daze and looked at Brittany before answering, "Oh, um … pizza and cheese-sticks?" Brittany smiled and Sonelle handed her the phone. It was only in a few minutes that Brittany had ordered the 8-slice, medium, extra cheese pizza which came with 8 slices of cheese-sticks. By now, evening had rolled around and Khaila had gone back to her apartment. With Brittany showering off in the bathroom, Sonelle had flopped herself on her bed once more, thinking about what Amelia could possibly be up to at this time. Just as she'd rolled over onto her back, her phone had rung out to its usual tune. Quickly picking it up, she answered, "Hello?" From what she could hear in the background, it sounded as if whoever had been calling was amongst several groups of people all murmuring together.

"Hey there, babe," a masculine voice answered from the other line. Sonelle's lips instantly curved into a smile. She'd recognized this voice immediately.

"How are you, Kofi," she asked as she turned on her side.

"Surviving," he replied. Both Sonelle and him gave a slight chuckle. "Hey, look, I don't really have a lot of time right now, but … I just - just needed to hear your voice one last time before I head out to the arena," he told her. Sonelle's cheeks blushed a very pink colour. Even though they had been miles apart, he was still able to put a bit of redness to her cheeks.

"I love you," she told him in a whisper. Her throat had begun to knot once realizing that she hadn't been sure when else she'd tell him this again. Kofi's voice gave a low chuckle.

"I love you too," he told her in a hushed voice. Sonelle smiled. Upon hearing voices in the background calling everyone to the arena, both Kofi and Sonelle had bed goodbye to each other and hung up. Letting her phone slip through her hands so that it rested on the pillow next to her, she curled herself up closing her eyes and thinking of when next she would see Kofi. She'd already begun to miss him even though it had only been a couple hours since they'd last seen each other. Although she hadn't questioned both her and Kofi's determination to make this relationship last over a long distance, she was sure that it would be _very _difficult.

* * *

><p>Wrapped in a bright orange towel, Khaila had stepped out of the shower hoping that it would somehow have washed away her thoughts for now. Walking out into the bedroom, she quickly changed into a pair of comfortable shorts. As she had reached for the shirt that she'd picked out, she stopped dead in her tracks. She'd noticed a shadow by the doorway. Slowly looking over at what could possibly be casting this shadow, she'd felt a sudden chill run through her. Standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and his lip-ringed lips pulled into a smirk, was a smug CM Punk. Khaila's heart had beat unusually fast. She watched as he neared her slowly.<p>

She opened her mouth to yell, but shock and fear had now taken over. Not only was she unable to cry for help, but she was frozen - unable to move. Her eyes now wandered up to Punk's face which had been only inches away from hers and which bore a very smug smirk. Khaila could feel chill after chill run through her. Punk placed both hands on her cheeks leaning forward slowly. Khaila's breathing had quickened; what was happening? How had he gotten in here? She watched as his lips had drawn nearer and nearer to hers.

In an instant, a loud sound had rung out. Khaila jumped into consciousness; her breathing still heavy and her forehead still sweating. As she slowly began to realize that it had all been a dream, however, she'd slowly become more passive. With a sigh of relief, she glanced at the source of the ringing sound - her telephone. Khaila cleared her throat before speaking, "Hello?" There had seemed to be some sort of party going on in the background as Khaila had taken note of a vast number of people speaking and shouting at the same time.

"Hello," a voice spoke from the other end of the line. Khaila, however, hadn't recognized this voice at all. She raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, who is this," she asked as she proceeded into the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator taking out some crackers and cheese and waiting for the voice on the other line to answer.

"It's Cody," the voice spoke once more. Just as she'd raised the cracker topped with cheese to her lips, she'd dropped it on the counter unequivocally stunned.

* * *

><p>Punk had sat backstage with his hands on his head breathing deeply, hoping to somewhat breathe all the thoughts and worries out of him in order to focus on his match. He'd been sick to his stomach about what he'd done with Amelia, but nothing could help that now. He'd lost everything he'd ever wanted - Khaila - and he had convinced himself between the ending of that night and his travelling that he'd lost her for good. Suddenly, there came a knock at his door. "It's open," he called still trying to focus himself on his match tonight. Tilting his head in the direction of the door, he saw it open widely as a very familiar face had stepped in.<p>

Standing up with a small smile on his face, Punk spoke first, "What's up, Kofi?" The two shook hands. Kofi gave a slight shrug before 'cutting to the chase'.

"Punk, you're my friend, right," Kofi asked rhetorically.

"Well, I would think so considering that you literally had a room in my old house," Punk answered nonetheless. Kofi gave a slight chuckle before continuing.

"Anyways, I know it's not any of my business, but … I just want to know why you did that with Amelia. Why did you throw away everything you had with Khaila? I mean, you know you liked that girl," Kofi asked. By now, Punk had seemed to be taken aback.

"You're right," Punk began, "it really is none of your concern, and if I were you, I wouldn't push the matter any further. Leave." Kofi raised his eyebrows before raising both his hands about shoulder height and stepping away from Punk who had already been balling up his.

"Look, man, I'm your friend. I'm only trying to -" Suddenly, the inevitable had happened. Kofi had been cut off mid-sentence by a punch delivered by Punk to his lip. This sent Kofi tumbling backwards. The two men had gone at each other once more shouting and yelling insults and swear words at one another, while they wrestled each other to the ground. Punches, kicks and biting were all incorporated into this. Just then, three other men had burst through the door. The men had shouted things such as 'Stop!' 'Come on, guys, break it up!' at the two wrestling men.

Finally, after being pried off of one another, Punk had shrugged off the hands that had kept him away from Kofi, who had been on the floor - his lip bleeding and his eye severely bruised. "Don't you think I know what I did," Punk shouted at the downed man surrounded by the three other men. "Don't you think I know that I lost the most important thing to me," he continued to shout at Kofi. Suddenly, the door had swung open again. This time … a very upset Vince McMahon and shocked John Laurinaitis strolled in at once.

"What the hell is going on here," Vince's raspy voice asked. Punk stood his ground staring his boss directly in his eyes. Vince glared at Punk. "Did you do this," he asked once more with his voice raised.

"You bet I did," Punk answered back with a slight chuckle. Vince's lips pursed angrily.

"Do you think this is funny," Vince shouted furiously. Punk, however, remained completely passive and merely shrugged. Vince's glare intensified. "Why you… You little, ungrateful bastard. I renewed your contract, gave you a championship title shot just so that you can do _this_," Vince's face had turned a nasty scarlet red as he shouted. "That's it! This is the last straw. I'm done putting up with all of your smartass bull. You're fi-"

"You know what, Vince," Punk asked gathering up his bag, "let me make it easier for you. I _quit_." Shoving past John Laurinaitis, Punk left a steamed and furious Vince McMahon shouting swear word after swear word at a man, who, at this point, could care less about whether or not he had a job. He'd only wanted one thing, and that was Khaila. And he assured himself, he'd do any and everything to win her back.


	19. Chapter 19

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 19 -_ **Redheaded Girl**

"Hello," the voice rang out through the cell phone once more. Khaila had immediately snapped back to reality, shoving all her inquiring thoughts aside - for now, at least.

"Yes, sorry, um … hi, Cody," Khaila answered him unsurely as she placed the cheese-topped cracker in her mouth.

"Hey, um, listen. I-I really need to ask you something," Cody stuttered as the noise in wherever he had been continued to grow. Khaila raised one eyebrow as she continued to snack on her crackers and cheese.

"Go ahead," she spoke hesitantly once swallowing her food. It seemed as though a long period of time had passed before Cody had answered her again.

"Well … I just wanted to know if you knew where Amelia was. I-I heard she wasn't with you guys upon arriving at the airport," he told Khaila once more. Khaila froze just before she had been going to place another cracker and cheese in her mouth. She hadn't known how to tell Cody this without worrying the living daylights out of him. Khaila's brain phrased and rephrased the exact same sentence, "She ran away from the apartment", several times in her head looking for the least severe to use. Finally, after several minutes of deliberation, she hadn't come up with anything. With a small, unperceivable sigh, Khaila had answered.

"To be honest, Cody, I don't know. All her things were gone by the time I'd made it back to my apartment. All she left was a note saying that she was in Chicago, and that she'll be fine," she truthfully relayed hoping Cody hadn't gone into some cardiac arrest at the sound of his missing girlfriend … well, ex-girlfriend. Although Khaila had known that Cody was rather upset with Amelia that night, she couldn't shake the feeling that Cody still felt strongly about her. Just by the way of him asking about her whereabouts showed his concern. How could Amelia have been so stupid as to mess all that up? From the other line, she heard nothing. "Hello," she asked worriedly.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here," Cody answered, apparently shocked that not even Amelia's friends - well, ex-friends - had known her whereabouts. Had he truly cared though? Of course, I do … I think, he thought to himself. Could he forgive her? He had been unaware that he had unconsciously been shaking his head, until Khaila's voice had rung out through the other line of the phone.

"Cody," she asked concerned once more. Cody immediately snapped out of his daze.

"Yes, well, thank you, Khaila," Cody answered once more. Khaila, who had just finished chewing her sixth cheese and cracker, answered back.

"No problem," she said, "well … bye -" Suddenly, Khaila heard the room that Cody had been in go completely silent with exception of a few shouts that had seemed to be coming from down the hallway. She'd thought that she could hear Punk's voice. "Wh-What's that," she asked in a low voice, praying and hoping that it hadn't been Punk.

"I'm not too sure," Cody stated slowly, apparently him and the rest of the people behind him had been listening keenly to the dispute occurring in the room down the corridor. Just then, a door had been slammed shut down the corridor. Everyone lined the hallways, looking interestedly at what had happened. Several moments passed until the door had slammed shut once more, a blasé CM Punk strolled past each and everyone of them not bothering to glance at either. Fire had grown in Cody's eyes as he watched the man that had completely torn his relationship in two, breeze past. Cody had suddenly felt his fingers curling themselves into a very tight fist. His first instinct had been to run and attack the man who had decimated both his and Amelia's relationship in the greatest way.

"Cody," the voice on the other line had seemed to give him a bit of the startle. All the thoughts of the bloody battle he'd get himself into with Punk in the parking lot of the arena had suddenly been interrupted by a sweet voice from the other line.

"Yeah," he asked releasing his fingers from their curled positions and giving a slight, small sigh.

"Please don't tell me Punk quit again," Khaila asked in a sigh. Cody gave a slight chuckle.

"I guess we'll both see what Vince has to say on Monday," Cody continued. Khaila smiled and gave a slight chuckle.

"Vince is going to speak? That definitely means he's fired or he quit," she answered back. Cody and Khaila went back and forth on the phone about Vince's tight-ship and other WWE incidents, until it was time for Cody to go. Both bidding goodbye, they hung up. Cody smiled for the first time since the … occurrence. In fact, for those few seconds of conversation that he'd had with Khaila, he had completely pushed the thought of the affair, even thoughts of Amelia aside, and in a strange way, he'd begun to like this feeling of forgetting.

* * *

><p>Punk had marched straight down to the hotel he and the rest of the roster had been residing in for their time spent here; however, as recent events had concluded, Punk no longer had a time limit concerning how long he had to stay in a certain town. He could simply pop in and out of each and every city he wanted to, but was he going to? No, this <em>is<em> CM Punk after all, isn't it? He much preferred being at home even if it were by himself sometimes.

As Punk lay himself on his bed once inside his suite, he looked over at his still- packed suitcase and large duffel bag that he'd brought from the arena just now. Quit, huh, he asked himself with a slight smirk etched on his face as he stared up at the ceiling. Punk's mind had crossed several, general and random things, those of which included the following: where he would go next after the time he was allotted to stay in the hotel had been over, what he would do now that he hadn't been wrestling, when he should see the new Captain America movie that had been coming out. He'd answered all questions except for one that he'd only just thought of. What would he do about Khaila? Punk could feel his face muscles move themselves into the shape of a small frown.

How could he have been so stupid as to throw away all he'd had with Khaila for a 'quickie' with Amelia? He sighed, rolling over onto his stomach and contemplating last night's turn of events. Both he and Khaila had walked into the suite perfectly content with each other, both incredibly cloaked in their love; this all changed, however, by the end of the night. Punk continued to stare at the lamp on the bedside table as he thought of Khaila. "God, Punk, you're so stupid," he mumbled to himself after shutting his eyes closed, allowing his thoughts of Khaila to become visual. Suddenly, he'd come to the same conclusion he had previously drawn - he was going to get her back.

I guess I'm coming home, he told himself subconsciously, bearing a sly smirk on his face. After this week, he was going home to Chicago, from there … he'd make it his utmost responsibility to have Khaila once again. Whatever it took, he'd make it happen, and with this pleasant thought in mind, Punk had slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>The morning light had crept into Brittany's and Sonelle's bedroom window. Sonelle, having been awoken by the light first, sat herself up on her bed, drowsily looking around at Brittany who had still been heavily sleeping. Rising up from the bed, Sonelle dragged her feet all the way to the kitchen passing the clock on the wall which read 10:15am. She flung open the refrigerator door, peering into an empty refrigerator. Sighing, she closed the fridge door and leaned against it. Suddenly, out of the hall, came another drowsy, half-asleep creature. Brittany had woken up minutes after Sonelle had and was trudging her way into the kitchen. Both Brittany and Sonelle stared at each other drowsily for a while before Brittany spoke, "Food?" Sonelle sighed and shook her head.<p>

"We need to go shopping," she said opening the fridge once more showing Brittany its emptiness.

"Great," Brittany added sarcastically. "I guess, I'll go change," she yawned as she rubbed her eyes and sleepily proceeded down the hall. Sonelle nodded.

"I'll tell Khaila we're going shopping," Sonelle announced. A muffled 'okay' echoed back. Sonelle, seating herself cross-legged on the couch, quickly dialled Khaila's number. The phone had rung three times before a sleepy voice answered.

"Hello," Khaila answered the phone only half-awake still laying in bed.

"Morning," Sonelle bade just as tiredly as Khaila had answered, "do you have food?" Khaila groaned as she rolled over in bed.

"I'll check," she reluctantly uttered as she rolled herself out of bed and trudged to her kitchen. As she peered into her refrigerator, she had realized, just as Sonelle had, that it was completely empty. Even the box of crackers and the few slices of cheese that she had been munching on last night were finished. "Nope," she muttered to Sonelle while sinking to the ground tiredly.

"Brit and I are going shopping, do you want to come," Sonelle asked laying herself down on the couch.

"Sure," Khaila yawned. "I'll go shower and get dressed. See you soon." Sonelle muttered a small 'mmkay' before hanging up. Setting her phone down on the small coffee table in front of the couch, she stared up at the ceiling trying to stay awake. As she did so, however, her thoughts had begun to wander. I wonder what Kofi's up to, she asked herself subliminally. Assuring herself that he was probably on a plane at this exact moment, she then pondered upon another question - one that had been haunting her ever since he'd mentioned leaving in the first place. When would she see him again? And if so, would the saying be true? Would distance have really allowed their hearts to grow fonder or would it have just weakened their relationship due to only having 5 second phone calls and the inability to see each other daily?

Without even thinking about it, she'd looked down at the promise ring Kofi had given her. Reflecting back on Kofi's words, 'It's not goodbye', a sudden surge of confidence had been instilled in her. Her lips spread themselves into a smile. I love you, Kofi, she thought to herself as she brought the ring to her lips and kissed it. Suddenly, Brittany had strolled out of the hall looking quite put-together. Brittany sat herself on the couch holding her phone up to her face and texting. Sonelle chuckled a bit and got up, leaving the living room to get dressed.

* * *

><p>Just as she'd closed her phone down and set it on the couch, she wondered whether Justin would bother calling her anytime soon. Hugging her knees, Brittany sat there staring out the window over-looking the streets of Chicago. Brittany, being the deep-thinker that she was, allowed her mind to wander to several aspects beyond Justin. She thought back to Friday night … what had happened, how everything had been left in turmoil. She was absolutely disgusted by Amelia. How could she do something so despicable and wounding to her <em>best<em> friend? Why would she? Brittany sighed and shook her head. The worst part of it all was that Khaila hadn't shown any emotion about it besides when it had happened. Had she really been ignoring it? Or was she conflicted about whether or not she still cared for Punk? Or … maybe she felt somewhat pathetic about possibly being pregnant for an unfaithful man? Brittany's mind raced from question to question before a ringing noise had disturbed her. Jumping a bit she looked down at her phone that had lit up suddenly; as she picked it up, a male voice rang out from the other end, "Good morning, darling."

Brittany's lips spread themselves into a large smile. "Morning," she told him as she continued hugging her knees listening to Justin's voice over the phone.

"How are you," he asked politely.

"I'm fine … missing you, but I'm fine," she admitted, "and you?" Justin gave a slight chuckle.

"I'm glad that you're fine, love," he told her before answering the question. With a sigh, he continued, "I'm okay; I miss you a lot more." Brittany smiled a bit.

"When's your next show in Chicago," she asked, hoping that she could maybe see him some time soon. Justin looked down at his luggage as he sat in the airport. In all honesty, he hadn't even known where they were heading to for their upcoming show.

"I-I don't know," he whispered to her. At these words, Brittany's heart had sunk a bit. She could hear a muffled sound in the background. She could've sworn she heard the voice say, 'Come on; we've got to go'. By the sound of Justin's sigh, Brittany had known she'd heard correctly. "Hey, I-"

"I know," she whispered. Justin gave a slight chuckle.

"I'll try and call you when we touch down again," he told her in a hushed tone. Brittany gave a small smile.

"Okay," she whispered her response. "Well bye-"

"Brittany," he said, disallowing her to hang up.

"Yes," she asked.

"I love you," he whispered to her. Brittany's smile stretched far and wide across her face as she responded just as quietly.

"I love you too." In a short second after bidding each other goodbye, they'd hung up. Brittany, still bearing the smile on her face, hugged her knees closer to her chest contemplating Justin's and her last words. Then, in a swift second, a knock had been heard at the door. Brittany walked her way over to the door and opened it to see a (now) wide-awake Khaila. "Ready," she asked Khaila. Khaila gave a slight nod, and as she did this, Sonelle had made her way out of the hallway and towards the door as well. With Sonelle picking her keys off of the kitchen counter and stowing them away in her purse, the three girls departed their apartments and headed straight for their local supermarket.

* * *

><p>Entering into the air-conditioned establishment, the girls picked up one basket and proceeded down the aisles. "What do we need," Sonelle asked as she looked around at all the products crammed onto shelves.<p>

"Food," Brittany answered. Sonelle gave a slight chuckle and continued walking down the aisle. The girls had picked up a few things such as: bread, ham, cheese, and orange juice. As Khaila continued to walk down the aisles behind Brittany and Sonelle, who had been arguing about what type of cereal they should buy, she'd glanced curiously at the many exits leading out of the supermarket. Suddenly, her eyes had caught a sign that made her stomach turn - 'Pharmacy'. Khaila placed a hand on her stomach, slowing her walk a bit. Could she maybe have wanted to get a pregnancy test? It had been a week, hadn't it? Khaila's breathing had gotten heavier as she deliberated on her thoughts.

"Right, Khaila," said Brittany, distracting Khaila from her previous thoughts. Sonelle, who had seemed to notice Khaila's vagueness, followed her gaze to the 'Pharmacy' sign. Sonelle immediately understood. Putting back the cereal she'd been arguing about with Brittany, she stepped closer to Brittany.

"Khaila wants to go to the pharmacy," Sonelle whispered to her. Brittany's expressions had changed rapidly from confused to aware.

"Oh," Brittany said understandingly. "Khaila," she spoke once more, this time in a hushed tone. Khaila tore her gaze from the pharmacy and looked up at her. "You want to go to the pharmacy, don't you," Brittany persisted once more. Khaila looked down at her own stomach and then back up at Brittany, nodding. With a slight smile, Brittany had grabbed onto Khaila's hand and the three girls' proceeded into the connected pharmacy. The strong scent of medicine had caught the girls completely off-guard leaving them to crinkle their noses, sneeze or shake their heads vigorously in attempts to rid themselves of the smell. Brittany and Sonelle nonchalantly allowed Khaila to go on her own and pick up her pregnancy test as they strolled uninterestedly down the aisle that had been shelved with cough medicines.

Khaila subliminally thanked them for the privacy they'd given her and proceeded down the correct aisle for the product she'd been looking for. Soon, after strolling past many other products, she'd stopped directly in front of the pregnancy tests. Khaila looked right and left making sure no one would see her. As she reached for the box, however, she'd notice someone come into the aisle and then turn back, hastily walking away. Khaila peered out from the aisle suspiciously only to catch a glimpse of the girl's long, red hair as she quickly took the bag containing most of her products and fled the store. Khaila took one step forward as if she were about to run after the girl she sworn was Amelia, but thought twice. After what she had done, she was no friend of hers.

Sonelle and Brittany raced out from the aisles; apparently they too had seen what Khaila had. "Oh, she forgot this one," the clerk said. Picking up the box which read Clearblue: Digital Pregnancy Test, the clerk ran outside of the pharmacy shouting 'miss' and 'hello' down the street in an attempt to signal the redheaded girl about her forgotten product.


	20. Chapter 20

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 20 - _**The Third Listener**

Khaila, Brittany and Sonelle all exchanged looks of uncertainty and unease. What had Amelia been doing in the pharmacy? Moreover … buying a pregnancy test? "Are you ready to buy that," the clerk asked having noticed the girls' frozen state. They immediately snapped out of their daze and looked at the clerk. Finally, Khaila had stepped forward and purchased the pregnancy test she'd been clutching in her hand. As the clerk bagged it, he handed it back to her. With a small smile of gratitude, Khaila and the girls quickly left the pharmacy and proceeded back into the supermarket where they picked up a bit more groceries, paid for them at the cashier and left to the car.

On the way to their apartment, Khaila, who had taken a seat in the back nearest the window, stared out at the cars overtaking other cars and zooming their way past stop signs. If Amelia had been pregnant, whose child would it have been? Cody's or Punk's? She couldn't have felt something that early if it were for Punk, though … could she? Khaila had. Khaila's heart felt as if it were sinking lower and lower to the point where she had begun to feel sick all over again. "What a little, ugh," Brittany exclaimed at the top of her lungs as she drove rather fast down the streets of Chicago.

"Brit," Sonelle said uneasily as she watched people and lampposts swoosh past with incredibly speed. "Brit … Brittany," Sonelle exclaimed. Just then, Brittany had swerved a curve and slammed down on the breaks, stopping right beside the pavement. Sonelle, whose nails had almost dug through the material covering the car seat, looked at Brittany nervously. Brittany still fuming, continued to grasp onto the wheel and stare angrily at the road in front of her.

"I just can't believe her! See the mess she gets herself into? If only she'd kept her hormones in check, she wouldn't be having these problems, but no, she just had to have a craving for Punk that night," Brittany ranted all in one breath. Khaila, although smiling at Brittany's ranting, decided to continue staring out the window at the pedestrians walking briskly up and down the pavement. Khaila had agreed with everything Brittany had said. In fact, she'd been thinking the same thing … with the exception that vulgar words had been thrown into the mix. After Brittany had finished venting all her aggressions and anger against Amelia, they were on the road once more.

In little to no time, the girls had settled themselves into each of their apartments. Khaila, who quickly locked her apartment door and then proceeded to lock herself in her bedroom, sat on the edge of the bed staring at the paper bag that she'd dropped on the floor. Her chest heaved as she deliberated whether or not she should open it. Had she really wanted to know whether she was pregnant or not? What if she was? … After everything that's been happening, did she really need _more_ worry? Khaila gnawed on her lip simply staring at the paper bag that seemed to be beckoning to her.

In a final step, Khaila rose up from her seat on the edge of the bed and picked up the brown paper bag. As she pushed her hand inside of it, she removed the box that had been inside. Letting the paper bag fall to the floor, Khaila turned the box over and over in her hands as she walked into the bathroom. She paused as she looked at herself in the mirror standing with the small rectangular box in her hand. In one quick move, Khaila opened her bathroom drawer and dropped the box inside, closing the drawer once more.

As she proceeded outside to her bedroom once more, she lay herself on her bed taking her pillow into her arms. Slowly and silently, tears had filled up her eyes only to run down her cheeks and onto her pillow. How could she have let this happen? What had she possibly done wrong? All the questions circulated about her head more than they needed to. Khaila's tears poured faster, now that she'd engaged in full-fledged crying. As she embraced her pillow, she shut her eyes hoping that maybe she would be able to cry herself to sleep and forget about the image of herself that she'd just stared at in the bathroom. As she continued to hug the pillow closer to her, she faintly pretended it had been Punk, and with this thought, her crying had seemed to lighten up. She'd amazed herself with this. Even though she was angry at Punk, she wasn't really angry at him. She still loved him … she knew she did.

* * *

><p>Sonelle and Brittany had lounged themselves on the living room floor, staring up at the T.V. and eating ham and cheese sandwiches. Brittany had just about been half-way through chewing when her phone had lit up and rang loudly. Casually reaching over for it, Brittany answered the phone. "Hello," she muffled. Sonelle watched as Brittany's face had turned an instant shade of pink and she swallowed her food rather quickly. "Oh, hey, Justin," Brittany said as she rose from the floor and headed back into her bedroom. Sonelle chuckled a bit to herself as she continued to eat her sandwich.<p>

As Sonelle had finished her eating, she carried the plate into the kitchen and placed it in the sink. Making her way back over to the living room, she turned off the T.V. and sat herself on the couch nearest the window. Things had gotten considerably lonely for Sonelle without Kofi around. Of course, she had her friends, but she couldn't help but feel another part of her was missing with Kofi gone now. With a gentle sigh, she continued to gaze out of the window, wondering whether Kofi had been thinking of her too.

* * *

><p>"Right, Kofi," a voice asked. Kofi immediately turned her gaze from out the window and back to the superstar that had been seated next to him - The Miz. Miz had been looking at Kofi confusedly. "Are you serious, man? You didn't hear a word I said," Miz asked absolutely flabbergasted that he wasn't being listened to. Kofi chuckled a bit and shrugged.<p>

"Sorry, man, didn't hear you," Kofi relayed. Miz simply rolled his eyes and turned his conversation towards the man sitting beside him - a very bored, Kevin Kiley (Alex Riley). Kofi gave a small chuckle as he stared back out of the window. Thoughts about when he would see Sonelle again had been running through his mind. As he checked the time on his watch, it had been 5:45pm. Their show would go on in about 2 or 3 hours. Had he enough time to spare maybe a 5 minute phone-call? Or rather would his schedule and hassling allot him that time?

Kofi pulled out his phone readying himself to call her. Suddenly he looked towards his right in order to make sure Miz had still been conversing with Alex Riley, and indeed he had been. Kofi smirked a bit to himself as he dialled Sonelle's number and pressed the phone to his ear. In two rings, she'd picked up.

"Hello," she asked. Kofi's muscles had tensed up at the sound of her voice. Although the last time he heard from her was a day ago, the simple sound of her voice had driven Kofi insane. Finally allowed to move his muscles, Kofi smiled before answering in a hushed tone.

"Hello there." Sonelle, on the other line, had a smile stretched far and wide across her face. "How are you," Kofi continued.

"I'm good," Sonelle relayed. Kofi smiled; it was a comfort to hear she was doing fine. He'd hate for his travelling to push her into some sort of manic depressive mood.

"That's good," he whispered, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, Kofi," Sonelle admitted; her eyes had begun to water. Although it'd only been a day since she'd last seen him, she felt as if he were gone for a lifetime.

"Hey, I know I might not see you for another two or three months, but … I've decided on something," Kofi told her as a smile had begun to sprawl across his face once more as he heard Sonelle's giggle.

"And what's that," he heard her whisper. His small smile had turned itself into a small smirk.

"Well, I've decided that I'll send you a letter … as in an _actual_ letter with pictures of art from different art museums," he told her. Sonelle let out a bit of an excited shriek as she replayed the words Kofi had just told her, in her head.

"Kofi, that's so sweet - I just … I love you," she told him as the tears in her eyes had collected all that they could and now spilt onto her cheeks. Kofi smiled grandly as he heard Sonelle speak the three words he'd adored hearing her say.

"And I love you," he whispered to her. Suddenly, Kofi felt the car jerk to a stop. As he snapped himself back to reality, he hadn't noticed they'd made it to the hotel already. Realizing that, at this point, he would have to bid Sonelle goodbye as the most complex part of the journey would take place now, he stepped out of the car and heaved a heavy sigh. "Sonelle … I've got to go. I'll try and call you later," he told her. Sonelle's smile had slowly begun to fade as Kofi muttered out the first few words.

"Alright then," she told him. The two bade goodbye to each other and hung up. Promptly stowing away his cell phone into his pocket, he proceeded into the hotel in order to change into his wrestling gear, as well as gather up his suitcase and gym bag to take to the arena. In a few moments, he'd checked out of his hotel, loaded his gym bag and suitcase into the trunk of his rented car, and proceeded now to the arena. Retrieving his gym bag from the back of his car, he quickly entered into the locker room. As he stepped in, however, he'd noticed some superstars on the roster staring oddly at him. Kofi merely shrugged it off and placed his gym bag down on the floor where he took his trademarked sweat bands and buried his head in his hands concentrating on his match tonight.

Suddenly a hand had grasped onto his shoulder, Kofi immediately spun around clenching both his hands into fists. To his satisfaction, he'd stared up at a peaceful Justin Gabriel who had already been changed and had been seemingly ready for his match tonight. "Kofi," Justin said in a hushed tone, "dude, there's something I need to tell you without the ears of the interfering around." Kofi raised one eyebrow and looked around at the superstars, who had still been ogling at him oddly, suddenly turn their gaze from Kofi to whatever they could find as they tried to look completely unsuspicious. Kofi gave a slight nod.

Rising from his seat on the bench in the locker room, Kofi and Justin proceeded outside into the hallway. Justin immediately told Kofi what he'd been meaning to tell him, "Do you notice all the guys looking at you strangely?"

"Well … yes," Kofi replied still suspicious as to what Justin would possibly want from him.

"They think you're to blame for Punk's absence," Justin told him truthfully. Kofi scoffed a bit and then chuckled.

"What? No … I didn't throw the first punch. All I did was ask him why he _did_ Cody's girl," Kofi responded.

"I believe you, man. I mean, I've been wondering the same thing myself. What made him and Amelia get so heated that they'd forget nearly everything that they cared about," Justin asked rhetorically. Kofi nodded in agreement to what Justin had said.

"Thanks, though," Kofi expressed to Justin who gave a slight nod before heading off into another direction. Kofi too headed off down the hallway so as not to face the odd stares that the men in the locker room had seemed to give whenever Kofi stepped within range of them. However, little did both men know that as they discussed the personal story of an affair and a betrayal, a third listener had inconspicuously tuned in.


	21. Chapter 21

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 21 - _**Surprise, Surprise**

The night of the RAW house-show progressed on flawlessly; each superstar had performed just as they were supposed to. All except for one, who hadn't shown up to the house-show any at all; one who had been sitting on his hotel suite bed and looking at the suitcase he was supposed to be packing. Lying there in bed, turned on his side, his blue/green eyes refocused themselves onto the clock on his bedside table. The time had now been 8:30pm. Good, he thought, he still had time. Shifting his position on the bed to lying down on his back, Cody stared up at the ceiling watching the dried paint peel into various shapes. With a sigh, he thought back to last night. CM Punk strolled past him carelessly as if nothing had been wrong. Cody could remember the anger and animosity he'd felt as he watched that destroyer waltz past him without even the slightest look of regret on his face.

Even now, just the thought of him had made Cody's blood boil and his fingers curl up into a fist. Considering the time he would take to ponder the disturbing occurrence, he found himself wrapped up in more questions than thoughts. Had he still loved Amelia? No, he couldn't. Not after what she'd done … then why was he so concerned when he'd heard she hadn't made it to the airport with her friends or when she'd run away from her apartment. Was he truly mad at Amelia? Well, of course! She'd had sex with another man, she'd cheated on him; that wasn't something you couldn't be mad at. He paused before wondering again. Although, what if it's the case where … she'd been taken advantage of? Was she still to blame? After all, she _did_ try to call him. He remembered his phone being blown up seven times by her name and number that night.

Then suddenly, a thought had struck him. He could feel his blood running cold through his veins as he asked himself the final question. Had _he_ done something wrong? Was it maybe his fault that she'd run away? What if he'd taken her phone call? Despite whatever she may have told him, he would surely tell her that there was still a place for her at their house in Marietta. Or would he? Would it have made a difference if he'd answered? Or would it have gotten severely worse - even though, with the circumstances they were facing, it didn't seem like it could. Cody rolled over onto his side once more, keeping his back to the light and staring at the light blue wall, deep in thought.

* * *

><p>It had been 8 months since the incident, and everything had seemed to settle out perfectly. He'd been standing in front of his house in Marietta with two suitcases clutched in his hands. He looked up at one of the windows of the house - one of the bedroom's windows - only to have a wide smile stretch across his face. The window opened, and a girl with long, flowing, red hair and brilliant green eyes, dressed in a crème coloured, long-sleeved dress had peered out of it equally smiling with Cody. Suddenly, the girl had turned away from the window. Cody could hear the sound of footsteps running down the staircase. As he turned his gaze towards the door, he dropped his suitcases almost immediately as the girl had raced out through the door barefooted and flung her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Cody wrapped his arms around her waist securely as he, too, kissed back with intensity. Their kiss had grown warmer and deeper with every second they'd spent there.<p>

As the kiss prolonged, however, Cody could feel it growing faint, airy almost. Opening his eyes from the kiss, he watched as something exceptionally unusual had begun to happen; the redheaded girl had begun to vanish in his arms. Cody, panicking, had strengthened his grip and tried to pull the girl towards him only to be left hugging himself. His heart had pounded against his chest with a great force as he tried to make sense of this situation. "Amelia," he shouted as he looked around at the trees and house worriedly. He sprinted off, with incredible speed, into the trees that surrounded the house, weaving his way around the fallen tree trunks and piles of leaves. "Amelia," he shouted even louder this time as he stopped. His chest heaved as he looked around at the many trees with panic, worry, concern and fear etched upon his face. Just as he'd opened his mouth to shout again, a chilling sound had stopped him. "Cody," a passive voice had seemed to whisper to him. Cody turned his head in every direction looking for the source of the sound.

"Cody," the voice spoke to him a bit louder this time coming from the direction of the house. Cody sprinted off back towards the house, nearly tripping on rocks and stones and running through piles of leaves. As he reached back at his house, however, what he saw next had sent a shiver down his spine. Standing there, with a smug smirk playing on his lip-ringed lips, was a devious-looking CM Punk. Cody wanted to just leap at him and tear him to shreds, however, he was … petrified. Punk chuckled at Cody's inability to move. Suddenly, Cody watched Punk raise a lit match and toss it through the opened door and onto the wooden floor of the house. A giggle had pervaded the air. As Cody looked up, his senses following the sound, he saw Amelia there in the bedroom, as she had once been, waving at him with a smile on her face.

"Get out," he shouted at her; suddenly, Cody watched as the fire continue to spread throughout the house. Looking through the window, he watched as the stairs had become engulfed in flames. He looked back up at Amelia who was still waving and giggling at him. "Get out," he shouted at her still trying to gain mobility in his body. To no avail, he remained in that spot, petrified. Tears had begun to sting his eyes as he watched helplessly as the house was engulfed in fire and crumbled almost instantly.

Just as suddenly as the house had crumbled, Cody had fallen to his hands and knees - tears, spewing out of his eyes and hatred, quickening his heartbeat. Cody clutched onto the grass looking up, his eyes with fire dwelling inside of them, at the chuckling CM Punk who, just as Amelia had, had begun to fade away. Cody stayed there, in that position, with tears running down his face. He'd lost everything … Punk had destroyed everything. He'd taken Amelia from him.

Suddenly, something had shoved against him. Cody had jumped into reality. It was all … a dream, he thought to himself. "Cody, are you okay," a woman with a British accent asked. Cody jumped a bit realizing he'd not been alone. Looking up at the woman, he'd realized it to be a familiar face … a _very _familiar face. Her mouse-brown, straight bangs had nearly grown past her eyes which were filled with concern and worry. He stared up at his ex-girlfriend and WWE diva, Layla El.

"I-I'm fine, Layla," Cody stuttered as he sat himself up. This was the last thing he needed … complication. "Um, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but how did you _get_ in here," Cody asked as he looked at her. Layla merely blushed a bit before stepping back.

"You, well … you dropped your key outside," Layla answered. Cody raised one eyebrow.

"You could've knocked," he mumbled stiffly.

"Oh, but I did; then, when you didn't answer, I got worried, so I came to check on you - see if everything was alright," she answered with a slight smile. Cody returned a small polite smile. He then turned his gaze to the lamp. What had she even come to his door for, anyways? "Are you sure you're alright, Cody," she asked uneasily. Cody looked back at her.

"Hm? Oh," he paused, "yes." Layla looked at him unsurely then took a deep breath before continuing on.

"Um, Cody … there was a reason why I'd actually wanted to talk to you," she began. Cody looked up at her curiously. A slight smirk had come onto her face from the attention, "Well … I heard that something had gone wrong with your past relationship, and I know it's none of my concern, but as a _friend_," she stressed, "I figured I should be there for you, if you need a talk." She gently sat herself down beside Cody on the bed. Cody merely looked at her blankly. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell her that just her mere presence had made him uncomfortable, and that he was fine and didn't need anyone's help, but he figured, partly due to the fact that she _was_ a wrestler herself, he should let her down easy.

"Th-Thanks, Layla," he told her, "but, it's alright. I've got everything under control." Layla raised one eyebrow.

"It didn't seem like it," she persisted referencing the dream.

"But really, everything's -" his sentence had been broken midway by the sudden clash of Layla's lips on his. Cody, stunned at this gesture, stared at her blankly as the kiss continued. Layla pulled away after a couple minutes of intensely kissing Cody. Without even looking at Cody, she dropped the key on the bed and left the suite. Cody sat there absolutely stunned. Had Layla just…? Yes. Had she really…? Yes. Did he want that? No … well, maybe. He hadn't known. At this point, Cody had been confused; between deciphering his dream and deciphering how he felt about Layla's motives, his head was in a tizzy. As he glanced over at the clock, he sprang up out of his bed immediately and piled in the remainder of his possessions. It was now way passed the time he was supposed to leave for the airport. As he bustled out of the hotel and scrambled into the car, Cody had sped off down to the airport.

Thankfully, he'd got there just in the nick of time. After presenting his ticket to the employee, he was allowed on the plane. With ease, he found his seat in first class and seated himself down in it. Using the time before boarding to catch his breath, Cody stared out at the star-lit sky. As the plane had taken off, Cody sunk himself down in his seat and leaned his head on his own shoulder. He could feel the weight on his eyelids increase as he begun to think of the recent happenings - his bizarre dream and … Layla. Realizing that it'd be best if he would push those thoughts aside and relieve his eyelids of the struggle to stay open, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>An entire week had passed after the incident between himself and Amelia. Punk, who had now been gathering up his possessions and going down to check out of the hotel, was still focused on his original game plan - to win Khaila back. With this thought permanently stuck in his mind, Punk entered into the lobby and swiftly checked out without a problem. As he packed up his luggage into the back of the car, he buckled himself in and sped off down the street to the airport. The sky was a light grey colour and there hadn't been any sun out in Lafayette today, he noted as he continued driving down to the airport. A small smirk had begun to sprawl across Punk's face as he realized the perfection of his plan; even though, he hadn't had a fully-detailed one yet, it was bound to be fool-proof. After all, I <em>am<em> CM Punk, he thought to himself.

After several minutes, Punk had driven all the way to the airport and boarded onto his plane. Within seconds, the plane had taken off and Punk was not only on his way back home, but on his way to fulfilling his plan.

* * *

><p>It's been an entire week, Khaila thought to herself as she lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She still hadn't taken the pregnancy test that she'd bought yet. There was no doubt that she'd felt even stranger during the course of this week though. She'd been hungry every moment of the day, and she'd thrown up at considerable intervals during the week. Something had still caused her to doubt all of this though; she wondered whether or not she'd willed herself into any of it. Could she have? Would she? She had to find out. She needed to put all this worrying to an end. She looked at her bathroom door which had been wide open. Slowly, she sat herself up and got to her feet. Making her way over to the bathroom, she locked the door behind her and opened the drawer she'd stowed the pregnancy test in.<p>

Khaila took a deep breath as she opened it up. In a few minutes, she'd left it there on a towel waiting for its results. Unlocking the bathroom door, she paced around her bedroom glancing up at the clock every 15 seconds or so awaiting the results. Who knew five minutes could take so long? Just then, a knock had sounded at the door. Thank God, Khaila thought to herself, at least I'll have Brittany and Sonelle to keep me company. Reaching the door, she turned the knob and opened it. As she had done this, however, her expression had changed from anxious to thunderstruck. The stranger at the door gave her one of his smug lip-ringed lipped smirks as he opened his arms and said, "Surprise, surprise."


	22. Chapter 22

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 22 _- **Answers Given**

Khaila remained there, staring at him. Punk gave a slight chuckle before asking once more, "What? No hug?" Half of Khaila wanted to slam the door in his cocky face, but half wanted to invite him in. She knew she still cared for Punk, and if he _truly_ wanted her back, then maybe … just maybe that's what he would get … for the sake of the child - if she is pregnant - that is. Khaila merely stepped aside allowing Punk inside. She'd seen the expression on Punk's face shift into a sweetly surprised expression. He had probably been expecting the slammed door, Khaila thought to herself. Punk entered into the apartment hesitantly. He looked around at Khaila who closed the door silently and stood there in front of him. Neither spoke for what felt like hours. Punk opened his mouth to speak, but he'd been stopped by a pair of lips crashing onto his.

Punk, stunned at first by the suddenness of the kiss, soon wrapped his arms around Khaila's waist and shared in the kiss. As they pulled away, Punk's hazel eyes stared into Khaila's deep brown eyes. "Khaila, I-"

"I know," she finished in a whisper. Punk bit his lip and released it slowly as he rubbed her back soothingly, still holding her close to him. "But I don't forgive you," she whispered to him once more. Punk raised one eyebrow completely dumbfounded.

"What do you mean," he asked confusedly. Khaila swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I mean that I know you're sorry, but I'm not going to forgive you that easily," she told him. Punk's grip had gotten looser.

"Then why did you let me in," he asked her.

"I need to talk to you," she whispered once more. Khaila led Punk into her bedroom. Punk still bore a confused look on his face. What was that kiss about? Was it simply a tease? And what did Khaila need to talk to him about? Punk's head swam with questions that were incapable of developing answers to themselves. As they both sat down on Khaila's bed, Khaila turned to him. "Punk," she whispered her voice shaky at what she was about to tell him next.

Punk placed an arm around her. He'd begun to think back for some sort of clue as to why she'd been acting this way. What had happened the night of the affair? "I don't know for sure, but," she continued. Punk had still been trying to work out what she was about to say. He remembered arriving at her suite, getting yelled at by her. She'd said something at the last moment - something that had made him ashamed, even more, about his affair with Amelia. Suddenly, he remembered her placing her hand on her stomach. "I'll know soon, whether or not I'm-" she pursued her sentence.

"Pregnant," Punk stated his realization breathlessly. He'd just realized the meaning for her welcoming him back into her apartment, and her life. It wasn't for him; it wasn't for her; it was for their child … if they were having one. This was not his plan. Khaila studied his face carefully for any hint of uneasiness. Punk, however, had always been The Master of Façade. Although his brain had been overworking itself, trying to process all this realization, his face hadn't shown a bit of it. Khaila placed a hand on his, trying to get some sort of reaction out of him. Punk merely looked at her then at their hands. He cleared his throat a bit, "S-So, are you?" Khaila merely shrugged and looked up at the clock. Realizing it had been past five minutes, she sprung up from her seat on the bed.

"I suppose we'll find out," she told him in a hushed voice as she proceeded back into the bathroom. Punk watched as she strolled her way to the bathroom, his heart pounding in his own chest. What if she were pregnant? He couldn't possibly stay with her, could he? He had a life of his own! He couldn't stop to take care of a baby, but Khaila … He loved her, hadn't he? After all, he'd come all this way with a plan to win her back. He couldn't just leave her. Or could he? Maybe he shouldn't have come back. Punk rose up out of his seat in an attempt to walk through the bedroom door and then out of the apartment. As he was about to, however, he glanced back at the bathroom door which had been closed. Thinking of how much hurt it'd bring her if she'd exited to an invisible Punk, he heaved a heavy sigh and sat himself back on the bed. He'd hurt her far too much already. You love her, Punk, he told himself, you know you do. You wouldn't have come back if you hadn't. Punk sighed agreeing with himself and waiting impatiently for Khaila to come back out of the bathroom.

In a few seconds, the bathroom door had opened. Punk immediately leapt to his feet. He watched as Khaila made his way over to him - her face showing no signs of what the pregnancy test may have shown or not. Punk's heart had beat so loud against his chest that in this silence between the two, he was sure she could hear it. Khaila looked up at him, tears flooding her eyes. A slight smile had seemed to have broken out onto her face as the tears strolled down it. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, several knocks had resounded at the door. Punk rolled his eyes in the direction of the door. Placing his hands on the sides of her arms, he kissed her forehead gently. "I'll get it," he whispered. Khaila merely nodded, her smile long gone.

Punk strolled out of the bedroom and toward the apartment door. Swinging it open, he was greeted by the look of disgust, anger and shock rolled up into one and plastered on the faces of Brittany and Sonelle. "What're you doing here," Brittany exclaimed already making a start at Punk as if she were about to throw a punch. Sonelle quickly held her back, whereas Punk looked unmoved. He simply stared at the girls. "How did you even- Oh my God, you must've broken in! Where's Khaila? Sonelle, grab your phone, call the police-" Brittany fumed still trying to make her way to give Punk a clear punch to his jaw.

"Brittany," a voice from behind Punk had called. Brittany stopped fussing and Sonelle had let go of Brittany; she, too, was curiously craning her neck to see who was behind Punk. Punk gave a glance behind him and stepped aside with a smirk. Khaila appeared, standing there with tears still flooding her eyes.

"You let him in," Sonelle asked breathlessly trying to grasp all of this. Khaila gave a slight nod and invited the two in. Brittany and Sonelle both walked slowly into the apartment (Brittany glaring up at Punk as she passed him) dumbfounded. Had Khaila truly let this man who'd done nothing but hurt her into her apartment? "Um, Khaila," Sonelle whispered grabbing Khaila's arm and pulling her aside.

"Yes - What are you doing," Khaila asked as Sonelle slapped a hand to Khaila's forehead feeling for a fever.

"Are you sick? Is he drugging you? Are you being blackmailed," Sonelle asked.

"Um, no," Khaila answered taking Sonelle's hand off her forehead.

"Then why the bloody hell would you let this man _in_," Sonelle asked furiously in a whisper. Khaila gave a slight chuckle then her face had grown serious.

"I needed to talk to him, and now that you're here, I suppose I'll finish what I was about to say," Khaila told her not bothering to whisper. Brittany and Punk had seated themselves in the living room sitting as far away from each other as possible and giving each other nasty glares. Khaila and Sonelle entered the living room, and by doing so, all tension had been lifted … for the most part. Punk quickly stood up and placed an arm around Khaila. Khaila, in turn, held onto Punk for support, for she felt that her knees were about to give in at any moment. "So, you both know about my pregnancy scare," Khaila began. As she said this, both Sonelle and Brittany leaned forward in there seats listening intently to whether or not Khaila had been pregnant.

Khaila took a deep breath watching their anxious and curious faces. "I took the pregnancy test today," she spoke, her voice already starting to give a slight crack. At this, Punk had held her closer to him. Khaila could feel her body trembling as tears rolled out onto her cheeks. By now, Punk's, Sonelle's and Brittany's hearts had all been thumping rather fast and hard against their chests as they waited for Khaila to reveal the answer to the question she'd been asking for what seemed like forever, _Was she pregnant_?

Punk soothingly rubbed her arm; looking up at Punk, then at Brittany and then at Sonelle, Khaila gnawed on her bottom lip before uncurling her fingers from the fist it had been in, revealing the pregnancy test with two lines on its reading. Her onlookers' eyes widened as they took note of the reading on the pregnancy test; Khaila whispered, "I'm pregnant." The onlookers watched curiously at Khaila's expression before they made any sudden reaction. Khaila looked up at Punk with a smile cracking itself on her face. "We're going to have a baby," she whispered to him, choking on her tears a bit.

Punk, himself, let a small smile ease its way onto his face as he crashed his lips against hers. Brittany and Sonelle let out jubilant shrieks. With Brittany and Sonelle talking excitedly about things such as: the different names of the baby, if it were a boy, if it were a girl, and how they'd be wonderful aunts to the baby, Punk merely leaned his forehead against Khaila's, staring straight into her eyes, and whispered, "Yes, _we_ are."

* * *

><p>Several days had passed, yet, Cody had continued to have that strange, peculiar dream about the burning house and Amelia. He'd realized it had simply been symbolizing what he'd thought about the whole affair between Amelia and Punk- that Punk had stolen Amelia from him, that he destroyed their relationship which ultimately meant everything to Cody. Figuring that since he'd realized all of this, he was sure it would stop, but as the days rolled passed. He continued to dream of the destruction of everything he'd once had. If that hadn't been strange enough for him, he'd also noticed Layla acting a bit differently towards him ever since she returned and found out he was single again. She would always bump into him whenever they were backstage, she'd always happen to be somewhere around his locker room just before his match was about to take place, and he could swear he heard her mention his name to a couple of her friends backstage (this was always followed by a giggle, he noted).<p>

Cody had done his best to ignore all of it, simply dismissing it as her 'post-break-up-feelings'. In a matter of months, she'd be completely over him. No doubt about that. Cody had sat himself in his suite one day, flipping through the channels ever so bored. Propping his head up with his hand that rested itself on the arm of the couch, Cody's eyes drowsily watched the T.V. With his finger involuntarily flicking the 'up' button for the channels on the T.V. remote, Cody allowed his mind to drift. He still had some questions he needed to be answered. Apart from all the strange happenings with his dreams and Layla, he still hadn't figured out whether or not he truly loved Amelia or if he were mad at her. He knew that she must've had some part in the whole affair be it willingly or not; she still had the choice to stop all of it. Why hadn't she? She was so special, Cody thought to himself. Quirky but special, he thought once more, a smile now starting to sprawl on his face as he remembered Amelia's clumsiness being the way they'd met in the first place.

His dad seemed to have approved of her. The entire point of Cody being gone with his father that day that Amelia had gone over to Sonelle's suite, was revealed to be because the WWE legend had wanted to have a bit of a talk with his son while they shopped around a bit. They talked 'guy-stuff' for a while including sports, the company, and finally, girls. Cody was shocked and a bit uncomfortable talking about this aspect with his dad especially since his previous girlfriends weren't exactly the types you'd bring home to meet the family. As their conversation progressed, however, Dusty Rhodes had brought up Amelia. Having seen Cody smile at the sound of her name, he said nothing but, "She a keeper, understand me? Don't lose her, Cody." Cody couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the fact that his dad was giving him advice on his relationship with a girl the legend had only met once.

Nevertheless, Cody muttered, "I wouldn't want to."

In retrospect, at that moment, he really felt Amelia and him had something special. He'd naively believed that the only thing that would maybe take a toll on them was the travelling. Boy, was he way off. Although what had happened with Amelia and Punk had angered him and upset him, it didn't change the way he felt about her. She was still very special to him, and he hated this feeling. He hated the fact that he loved a girl that cheated on him, and that he still does now. He'd constantly thought of whether or not he'd accept her back if she'd asked. Each time, he would answer yes. Cody sighed. Perhaps, just like Layla, he needed time; time away from her, like he was getting right now, time to think about the situation, and to realize that Amelia truly wasn't that special. Time and time again, he'd tried to place these thoughts in his mind so as to somewhat force himself to think like this from now on; however, as it always proved, this helped not. He'd still loved Amelia. He wanted to hold her, to care for her again just as he'd done before. He wanted to simply ignore the past and accept her back into his life. He missed the scent of her long, wavy, red hair; the way her grey/green eyes had shone brilliantly, especially when looking into his; the way the moonlight hit her porcelain coloured skin perfectly; or the way her quirks and clumsiness seemed to add to her beauty, effortlessly.

Just as he was about to continue his list, a knock had sounded at the door. The sound had startled Cody back into the reality. Standing up, Cody had seized the handle of the door. Swinging it open, he stared at a rather short, mouse-brown haired (though, it hadn't hung over her shoulders as it used to, it was pinned up into a neat bun) woman wearing a slimming strapless black dress. "Hello," Cody said trying to make sense of all of … _this_. Layla's cheeks blushed a bit.

"Hi, I um … I hope I'm not being too forward, but a couple of us are going down to a club; would you like to join us," Layla asked as she shifted her hips a bit. Cody opened his mouth, about to decline the invitation, when he'd realized something. Maybe this was what he needed to forget about Amelia. Just one night out. That was all. What could possibly happen?

"I'll be back in a second; would you like to come in," Cody asked as he stepped aside. Layla smiled and stepped in, seating herself on the couch. Cody walked into the bedroom and closed the door, changing into some party-going attire. As he did so, his mind set itself adrift once more; however, it hadn't gone to its usual place of contemplating strange happenings or dreams. Instead, it led itself excitedly along the path of wondering what other plans Layla and her company had in store for themselves tonight. Thoughts of dancing and drinking and dining flashed through his mind, and in a few minutes, both he and Layla had departed from the hotel only to have returned several hours later passionately lip-locked. The two headed for the bedroom, and in a moment's notice, clothes were scattered all over the floor and the two lay beneath the sheets. That night, for the first time in weeks, Cody had drifted off to sleep without a single thought of the affair, the dream or Amelia in his head.


	23. Chapter 23

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 23 _- **Change of Hair**

During the course of Cody's and Layla's evening together in Ohio, in Chicago, a very excited bunch had just agreed on going out to a café to celebrate their bit of good news. Khaila and Punk sat together on the couch as they waited for Sonelle and Brittany to freshen up themselves. By now, Punk had extended an arm around Khaila. At this moment, she was far too tired to force him to move it; besides, why not let him have his bit of fun for now? "So," she heard Punk's voice speaking to her. As she looked up at the smirking man, he continued, "you don't forgive me, but you kissed me … twice." Khaila's cheeks reddened before looking back towards the T.V. that had been turned down very low.

"So," she asked casually. She could feel Punk's smirk grow a bit as he lowered his lips to her cheek giving it a small peck. Chills ran all through Khaila's body, and at this she was amazed. Even after all that had happened, Punk was still able to spike Khaila's blood. Punk, probably picking this up, gave a slight chuckle. Khaila could feel his warm breath trickle down her neck as he did so.

"So, it'd be okay if …" his voice trailed off as she felt his lips crash onto her neck. Every strand of hair on her body had stood up. Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt Punk's lips moving slowly up and down her neck. Suddenly, he'd felt his lips take on a new direction. Instead of proceeding down her neck once more, they'd travelled up and stopped at her lips. Just before they'd crashed onto hers, they simply lingered there brushing against them. Khaila looked into his eyes that seemed to have wandered up from her lips to her eyes. As much as she wanted to just have herself be kissed by Punk (who wouldn't?), she needed to show him that she was being serious about the entire situation between him and Amelia. He wouldn't get off that easily.

Just as Punk leaned in closer to plant his lips on hers, Khaila turned her head facing the T.V. once more as Punk's lips crashed onto her cheek. Punk looked at her confusedly. Khaila gave a comforting half-smile before whispering to him once more, "I like you, Punk, but I can't forgive you … not yet, anyways." As she muttered the last word of her sentence, a knocking sound had come from the door. Khaila rose to her feet and moved in the direction of the door whereas Punk sighed, relaxing himself back on the couch. As she pulled it open, the two girls they had been waiting for had stepped in.

"All ready," Brittany asked as she clutched her purse tighter to her and looking at Khaila. Khaila glanced back at Punk who reluctantly got to his feet and stood next to her. The group departed the apartment and headed out to the cars outside. Brittany and Sonelle saw it best that they ride in their own while Punk and Khaila rode in Punk's vehicle. The group split into twos and seated themselves into their own cars. Brittany and Sonelle were the first to speed off onto the road. As Khaila seated herself inside and was about to close the door, a hand stopped her. Khaila looked up at a smirking Punk.

"Yes," she asked. Punk shook his head still bearing a smug smirk on his lips. After a moment or two of just looking at her, Punk closed the door and seated himself in the driver's seat. Buckling himself in, both he and Khaila sped off onto the road. Khaila's brow furrowed as she thought about why he he'd done … whatever he did just then. "Punk," she asked sceptically. He merely made a side glance at her to let her know that he was listening. She continued on, "What was that all about?" Punk chuckled.

"What? I can't look at you now," Punk answered giving her another side glance. Khaila let out a slight 'humph' and stared out the window. She watched as the people and trees and buildings all seemed to pass by very fast. In its suddenness, Khaila had barely realized that Punk had taken her hand in his. She'd only noticed when he gave it a comforting squeeze. As she looked over at him, Punk looked as content as she'd ever seen him. Something was up (no sexual pun intended), she thought to herself. Finally getting the gist that Khaila wanted to talk to him, due to her staring, Punk finally said, "Yes?" Khaila smirked.

"What? I can't look at you now," she said, mocking Punk. Punk gave a slight chuckle.

"Hmm …" Khaila gave a slight smile, but it quickly faded as she prepared herself to ask Punk something that had been present in her mind ever since she'd seen him for the second time. Forgetting about Punk's staring, and his forward gestures, Khaila braced herself as she looked at Punk once more.

"Punk," she asked, feeling her fingers getting tense around his hand.

"Yes," he asked in return.

"What did you see in Amelia," she blurted out. Suddenly, the car seemed as if it were about to swerve off the road. Punk left Khaila's hand and grabbed onto the wheel with both, coming to a stop right in front of the pavement. The question had seemed to throw Punk way off his game.

"What," he asked incredulously. Khaila merely raised a brow.

"I asked, 'What did you see in Amelia,'" she told him. Punk chuckled a bit still astonished that Khaila would ask him such a question.

Looking at the road, he provided his answer, "Nothing." Khaila scoffed disbelievingly.

"Right," she added sarcastically. Punk looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean 'right'? Khaila, I saw _nothing_ in her," Punk continued. "And if you're just going to ask me what I saw in Amelia, so as to find out why I came back, then allow me to tell you directly. I came back because of you, because I missed you, because I realized that I screwed up _big time_, and I wanted to make it right." Khaila didn't look at him. She hadn't known why this question had only popped up then, or why she wanted to make a big deal out of it.

"Why did you though … why'd you do it," she asked finally looking at him. Punk's face had looked confused more than ever as he too tried to decipher why this question had popped into Khaila's mind suddenly.

With a sigh, he answered, "I don't know. In all honesty, I don't. If I did, I'd tell both you and myself." Khaila gnawed on her lip and gave a slight nod. Although neither of the answers were quite what she'd wanted, she had to accept the fact that perhaps the incident between Amelia and Punk had aroused simply out of hormones rather than attraction. Even if she wanted to fight Punk against his word, she couldn't. She knew he was being genuinely truthful about everything. Punk leaned over and kissed her cheek gently. Khaila turned towards him only to find him a sole 2 inches away from her face. "Khaila, I love you, and I mean it. Love isn't a word I use or play around with much at all," he whispered to her. Khaila's cheeks reddened as she gave Punk a peck on his lips. As much as she wanted to tell him, she loved him back. She had to remember her promise to herself … she wouldn't let him off that easily.

"I'm hungry," she whispered with a half-smile. Punk chuckled and nodded before revving up the engine once more and proceeding down to the café. After arriving, Punk had taken note that it was the same café that Khaila and him had met at. The couple had walked in surveying the entire café for Brittany and Sonelle. Suddenly, two waving hands had caught their attention. At the booth, second to the last in the back, were two people already sipping their frozen coffees and waving at the couple that had just entered. Khaila gave a slight chuckle as both she and Punk made their way over to the booth. Punk offered Khaila the seat closest to the window, but she declined and sat on the edge of the booth. The restaurant was quite quiet, and it had its usual crowd … eight. The four talked rather nicely to each other before Khaila's stomach had growled at her. Punk gave a slight chuckle as he looked at her. Khaila's cheeks reddened. Just as she was about to excuse herself from the table to get something to drink, a loud shout had erupted over on the other side of the café. "Watch where you're going," a man in his 40s had shouted. The young girl with short, spiky, dark brown hair, covered by a blue beanie that seemed to match her jacket quickly, apologized before stumbling her way inside the café.

"Wow," Punk murmured under his breath. Khaila gave a slight chuckle.

"Do you want anything," Khaila asked Punk as she readily got up. Punk shook his head sliding himself to the end of booth in order to accompany Khaila. "No, that's okay," she quickly told him.

"Alright," he mumbled as he slid back over to his side. Khaila strolled over to the serving area. Directly beside her was the girl who'd been shouted at, Khaila gave her order to the employee and watched as he quickly jotted it down, proceeding to the back afterwards.

"Will that be all," the employee asked the girl beside her. She didn't speak, she simply nodded and grabbed hold of her warm cup of coffee. As she attempted to spin around on her heel and proceed to the booth behind Khaila's and her friends', she'd knocked into Khaila. Both girls crashed onto the floor as did the cup of coffee that had shattered completely. Both girls sat up at the same time; Khaila stood up and reached out a hand to the fallen stranger … only, as she'd taken a closer look, it hadn't been a stranger at all. With the beanie now soaking itself in the puddle of coffee that lay beside the girl, Khaila easily recognized her gray/green eyes.

"Amelia," she asked simply astonished. Amelia quickly grabbed her beanie from swimming anymore in the pool of coffee. Suddenly, the two girls had been surrounded by six other onlookers - three being Sonelle, Brittany and Punk and the other three being employees that quickly helped Amelia up and mopped and swept away the coffee and shattered pieces of the cup. Punk placed a hand on Khaila's shoulder pulling her towards him. Amelia simply stared at the four of them unable to say anything. "You're … here," Khaila asked once more.

Amelia gave a slight nod. She didn't know what to say to either of them, more so Khaila. From the time she'd left to this point, she'd recollected every bit of the night of the affair, and every moment had made her even more ashamed of herself. She'd betrayed and wounded her friends and Cody, and she'd utterly humiliated herself. Amelia clutched onto her beanie so tightly that it appeared as if she were wringing it out in her hands. Amelia glanced at each one of their faces besides Punk and Khaila's. She looked at Brittany who bore a look of astonishment as well as annoyed. She then looked to Sonelle who had been in utter shock and amazement that they'd finally been able to see Amelia again. "Why don't you come and have coffee with us," Khaila invited.

"Khaila," she heard Punk mutter under his breath. Khaila dismissed it.

"Really, Amelia, we want to talk to you. We haven't seen you in what? Two weeks," Sonelle spoke. A small smile had come onto Amelia's face. Although it was very kind of them to invite her, she could tell that she wasn't wanted. Just as she'd opened her mouth to decline the invitation, Sonelle had grabbed onto her wrist and dragged her off to the table they had previously sat at. Sonelle slid in, followed by Amelia, and then Brittany who made sure she kept a certain distance between herself and Amelia. Khaila and Punk were the last two to reach the table. Bringing a warm cup of coffee for Amelia, Khaila slid in first this time followed by Punk. Amelia gave a half-smile of gratitude and sipped the coffee from its cup. "So, what did you do to your hair," Sonelle asked as the fact that not only had the length of her hair changed, but the colour had as well began to settle in. Amelia put down her cup of coffee so careful as to not spill any of it.

"I, um, dyed it and cut it," she told them in a low voice. There was no doubt that after all the time that had passed Amelia felt very awkward amongst her used-to-be friends. Brittany, who had merely muttered an 'oh' or 'mhm', had picked up her phone and began texting once more. Amelia stole a glance at Punk who seemed to be eyeing her curiously. Quickly turning her eyes away, she stared up at the menu board that hug above the serving area.

"So um," Khaila began once more, "where are you staying?" Amelia looked towards Khaila still astonished that she'd actually been talking quite nicely to her.

"Oh," Amelia paused still trying to process all of this, "well, there's this bit of a motel just a few blocks down from the supermarket." Khaila gave a small, polite smile. She hadn't trusted Amelia, nor could she forgive her after what had happened with Punk, but nonetheless, there was a part of Khaila that cared about her. Amelia, as well as Brittany and Sonelle, were family to her, and just the thought of Amelia living in a rat-filled motel with torn wallpaper and creaky floorboards made Khaila's heart just a bit more compassionate towards her.

"Well, you could always come back to the apartment if you wanted to," Sonelle offered. Khaila held her breath a bit at Sonelle's question. She cared about Amelia, yes, but by no means did she want to be living with her so soon. Amelia, who had taken another sip of her coffee, gently put it down and shook her head. Khaila gently exhaled her withheld breath.

"No, no thanks. I'm fine where I am," Amelia politely declined with a small smile. Sonelle merely shrugged.

"Still, just so you know, there's a place there for you," Sonelle continued. Amelia gave a small nod and a thank-you sort of smile. Brittany closed her phone and set it back down on the table. Amelia glanced at the time on Brittany's phone; it read 1:30pm. Amelia's heart thumped. It had nearly been time for her appointment. She needed to leave now.

"Um," she said as she looked around at everyone, except Punk. "So, thanks for the coffee and the talk and everything," she said with a smile, "but I really have to go now." Each of them had nodded their head, except Punk. Brittany slid out of the booth allowing Amelia to pass. Amelia gave a small smile before she left the table. Proceeding back outside to her car, Amelia flung open the door. Just as she was about seat herself into her car, however, a hand had grabbed her elbow. Amelia turned around suddenly. To her surprise, it was Khaila again.

"Hey, um, we thought it'd be nice if we could get your number again. Every time we tried your old one it-" Khaila began before being interrupted.

"Oh, yeah. I-I changed, sorry, here," Amelia responded after scribbling her new cell phone number down onto a piece of paper and handing it to her. Khaila took it with a smile and waved goodbye allowing Amelia to crawl into her car and drive off. With her windows rolled down, Amelia allowed the wind to tangle her hair as she drove mindlessly through the streets of Chicago contemplating what had just happened - change. Change of hair, change of mind and … change of heart.


	24. Chapter 24

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 24 - _**A Night To Remember**

The group of four had proceeded back to the apartments once more. After Sonelle and Brittany made their goodbyes to Punk and Khaila, they retreated to the comfort of their own apartment. Having entered Khaila's apartment already, Punk lounged himself on the sofa and stared up at the ceiling. Khaila chuckled a bit as she watched Punk. A smirk had suddenly appeared on his face as he heard Khaila's chuckle. "Would you mind if I slept here," Punk asked as he looked over at her. Khaila, who had placed herself in one of the armchairs, merely shrugged.

"I guess not," she said quietly still turning some things over in her mind. She'd seen Amelia for the first time since the affair. She'd changed - quite a lot actually. From her hair to the way she acted around them, she was different now. But what sort of different was she? Punk sat up on the couch and reached his hand over to Khaila's. The simple touch of his hand had been enough to snap her out of her daze. She watched as Punk smirked while pulling her over to him. In one swift movement, Punk had her seated on his lap. Khaila looked at him and smiled a bit.

"What's wrong," he asked obviously sensing that her mind had been set adrift. Khaila looked back at him and shrugged. Punk wrapped his arms around her tighter. "Come on," he whispered, "I know something's wrong." Khaila looked into his hazel eyes and sighed.

"I'm still thinking about everything with Amelia," at the last word Khaila had said, Punk had leaned back on the sofa. "I mean, I talked to her and everything, but now I'm thinking if she really deserved it all. After all she's done, am I really going to let her back as my friend," Khaila ranted to Punk. Punk, himself, had been seemed to be pondering a lot about the situation with Amelia and the group.

"I don't think you should," Punk muttered. Khaila looked back at him and sighed.

"Are you saying that because you're afraid she'll hurt me again or because having her around is awkward for you," Khaila asked. Punk shrugged.

"Both, actually," Punk answered honestly. "I mean, if you trusted her once before, and she hurt you severely, don't you think she'd be capable of doing it again?" Khaila raised once eyebrow; she'd made up her mind.

"Hmm, that story sounds very familiar, doesn't it," Khaila stated in all seriousness as she looked at Punk who's face had gone a light shade of pink as he tried to explain himself. Khaila stopped him before he could even continue. "Punk, whatever you have against Amelia is your business. Whether you believe in second chances or not is your outlook as well; as for me, I do believe in them. That's why you're here right now, that's why Amelia and I have finally talked for two weeks. I've given both of you a second chance, whether or not you all deserve it is what I'll find out in weeks to come," and with that she rose up off of Punk's lap.

"Where are you going," Punk asked; it was the only thing he could mutter after his defeat, at the words of Khaila.

"To bed," Khaila answered. Punk chuckled

"But it's only 2:30," Punk replied. Khaila shrugged and strolled back towards the bedroom. Punk watched her go before asking, "Can I come?" The only response he had gotten was a laugh and a slammed door. Punk chuckled to himself as he lounged back on the sofa and flicked on the T.V. "I guess not," he mumbled to himself.

* * *

><p>Months and months had passed, with Brittany, Sonelle and Khaila staying in contact with Amelia and their superstars. Punk and Khaila had grown closer than ever and moved in together leaving Amelia to take the empty apartment to herself now, whereas Brittany and Sonelle stayed exactly where they were constantly wondering when they'd see their superstars next.<p>

Her phone had rung out loudly from the bedside table. It's tune filled with guitar and drums and the lyrics to her favourite song. Sonelle rolled herself over onto her side as she sleepily took hold of the phone. Clicking the 'accept' button and pressing the phone to her ear, she yawned, "Hello?"

"Hello there, love," a man's voice sounded from the other line - the voice she eagerly waited everyday to hear, Kofi's voice. Sonelle jumped up immediately and grinned from ear to ear.

"How are you," she asked, rising up out of bed so as to not wake Brittany from her sleep.

"I'm good, better now that I finally know the answer to something you keep asking me," he stated. Sonelle smiled and made her way over to the couch in the living room. She sat herself down beside the window overlooking the darkened streets of Chicago only illuminated by the lampposts and stars.

"And what's that," she asked him in return unable to remove the grin from her face. Kofi chuckled on his end before continuing.

"When you'll see me again," he stated in a hushed tone. Sonelle's eyes widened and her heart beat faster than she could've ever imagined. Finally, she wouldn't have to keep guessing at when the next time she'd meet Kofi would be.

"And when will that be," she asked, excitedly sitting up in her seat. Kofi grinned on the other line.

"Sunday … tomorrow," he whispered. Sonelle let out a small, inconspicuous shriek as her nerves pulsated throughout her body. He was coming tomorrow! After months and months of not seeing each other, and of surviving only on 19 second conversations, Sonelle would finally see Kofi tomorrow, be able to wrap her arms around him, be able to kiss him and be held by him. "At 8:00pm, our flight lands," he continued after realizing that Sonelle may have been to awed to speak at the moment. His speculation was right. Sonelle sat there stunned at the fact that she would be able to see her beloved tomorrow.

"I'll be there," she told him in a hushed tone, unable to speak any louder or risk deafening Kofi with her shrieks. Kofi gave a slight chuckle.

"I look forward to seeing you then," he whispered to her. Sonelle smiled even bigger. As the two bade love and goodbye to each other, they hung up. Sonelle sat on the couch, hugging her knees and continuing to gaze out of the window at the passing cars. She stayed there for what must've been hours just wrapped up in thought of the day to come. As she rested her head on her knees, peering out into the starry night sky, she couldn't help but grin widely once more, for a single thought had intruded her head and she was going to repeat it over and over until it wasn't real. Tomorrow, a blessed Sunday, after months of being apart, she'd be reunited with Kofi. Looking down at her promise ring, she thought to herself, it really wasn't a goodbye, just like he said.

* * *

><p>It was now six in the evening and both Sonelle and Brittany were already in the car driving up to the airport. Brittany, who had gotten her call from Justin earlier this morning, drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she looked for ways to overtake several drivers in order to get to the airport. Sonelle had contently been sitting in the front passenger seat humming to herself while wondering how long it had been before she could see Kofi again, finally. In little to no time, however, the girls had parked and walked into the airport. They quickly found the area where others had been waiting for their boyfriends or husbands or wives or business partners. As they seated themselves there, Sonelle and Brittany would take turns looking at the boards to see if the flight had landed yet. Finally, after much wait, Brittany and Sonelle could distinctly hear screaming, which only meant one thing - the superstars had arrived. Sonelle watched the superstars exit one-by-one surveying the passengers for any signs of Kofi.<p>

Brittany had let out a slight squeal as Justin made his way towards her, instantly dropping his bags and wrapping his arms tightly around her. Sonelle continued to look on over at the crowds of people exiting the plane. Then, at the last second, she'd seen a man with his dreads tied back, wearing a black, long-sleeved sweat shirt as well as grey jeans exit the plane. Running over to him, she flung her arms around his neck and passionately kissed his lips. The man had passionately kissed back, dropping his bags and picking her up in his arms. Sonelle's legs had wrapped themselves around his waist as he held onto her closely. Just as slowly as the kiss had grown passionate, it was slowly broken. Kofi set Sonelle back down onto the airport floor still holding onto her. Without anything else being said, he whispered, "Let's get out of here." Sonelle gave a slight smirk and nodded once. In a few minutes, Kofi, who had rented a car for his week's stay in Chicago, had driven both himself and Sonelle up to his hotel and checked in quickly. After the bellhop had delivered all of Kofi's luggage, Sonelle sat herself on the couch grinning up at Kofi who appeared to be grinning back.

Kofi extended a hand to her and she took it politely. Pulling her up to a standing position, Kofi took hold of both her hands and brought them to his lips. Sonelle let her bottom lip slide under her teeth as she gazed down at his lips which seemed to pull themselves into a slight smirk. "Kofi," she spoke. She looked up into his deep brown eyes as he placed his hands on her waist. She smirked a bit at his touch.

"Yes," he asked. As much as she wanted to tell him what she'd wished to, she couldn't. For one, after being in his presence, she'd completely forgotten what she was about to say, and if she had remembered it, she doubted she would have a voice to say it. She could see his lips move closer to hers. Then, in one sudden move, their lips had succumbed to one another's. Sonelle could feel him taking both her hands once more, as he walked backwards through to a room. Their kissing had suddenly intensified unlike any other time before. Kofi's tongue intruded her mouth slowly, and Sonelle allowed it to. Suddenly, Sonelle backed up into something. As her hands left Kofi's, she felt what had been behind her - something soft, something material-like … a bed. Kofi picked her up and set her onto the bed without the kiss breaking at any point.

Sonelle crawled even further up on the bed so that her head had been against the pillows. Kofi crawled on top of her, breaking the kiss once. Sonelle watched as he kneeled over her pulling off his sweat shirt and revealing his slim and defined abdomen. Sonelle smirked and grabbed onto the buckle of his belt. He, in turn, smirked as he watched her unbuckle it slowly and eventually throw it onto the floor. As Kofi lay himself down on the pillow beside her, Sonelle shifted from her position and crawled on top of him, and so, their kissing resumed. In two more seconds, Kofi had lifted Sonelle's shirt off of her body and flung it across the room. Moments passed and the aftermath of their night of pleasure lay scattered on the floor - clothes, pillows, covers. Sonelle looked up at Kofi, whom she had been resting on, and gave a slight smirk. His eyes were closed and he was already fast asleep; however, she could feel his hands still rub her back up and down comfortingly. As she turned her head once more so that her cheek rested against his peck, she listened to his heartbeat. Closing her eyes, she'd fallen asleep with a smile on her face. It was clear that both Sonelle and Kofi had subliminally agreed that this tonight was indeed a night to remember.


	25. Chapter 25

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 25 - _**A Love Not Lost**

Morning had broken into Sonelle and Kofi's bedroom. With the light hitting her eyes first, Sonelle flinched a bit before lazily opening them. Drowsily, she glanced up at Kofi who had been unmoved at the light that now shone in his face. With a smile on her lips, Sonelle rolled herself off of Kofi and got to her feet, shutting the blinds and darkening the room once more. Making her way to the bathroom, she reached for the robe that had been hung up on the door. As she tied it around herself and stepped back out into the bedroom, she'd noticed a half-dressed Kofi sitting on the bed awaiting her return. Sonelle gave a small smile. "Morning," he groggily said as he took her hand and pulled her up beside him on the bed. He pressed his lips against the temple of her head as she gave a small chuckle.

"Good morning," she whispered. Kofi extended an arm around her holding her close to him. As he did so, Sonelle rested her head on his shoulder beginning to close her eyes once more.

"I'm taking you out tonight," he told her as he rubbed her arm soothingly. Sonelle smiled.

"Where," she asked already expecting a 'you'll see' or 'it's a surprise'. To her surprise, however, he'd actually answered the question.

"To a club, you could bring your friends, and I'll bring mine. We can just go out and enjoy ourselves," he continued. Sonelle looked back up at Kofi bearing a smile that had never seemed to depart her face from the time she'd seen him step off of the plane.

"That sounds lovely," she whispered to him. The drowsy couple merely sat there, dwelling in the silence as well as each other's presence. Neither complained about the quietness of the moment. It was almost as if it were exactly what they both needed.

* * *

><p>Justin and Brittany had just barely woken up enough to make themselves a bit of food to start off the day. Brittany sat up on one of the bar stools in his suite's kitchen, resting her head in her hand and watching as Justin attempted to cook something other than pancakes. "We could go downstairs for breakfast, you know," Brittany offered as she yawned quietly. Justin gave a slight chuckle.<p>

"I'm not ready to brave the stares and autographs of the day yet; besides, it's nice just being alone," Justin looked back at Brittany with a smirk on his face. She giggled a bit and proceeded over to him, checking on just what exactly he'd been up to. Being Brittany, she liked things done to perfection - even if she wouldn't admit it. She reached over taking the spoon politely out of Justin's hands and scrambling the already scrambled eggs. Brittany murmured something about 'you don't do it that way' and 'you put too much cheese'. Justin merely chuckled at her comments about his attempt at making food as he stood back and watched her. Turning the stove off and setting the spoon back down on the table, Brittany had reached for the handle of the frying pan to serve it out into the dishes. Just as she had about to do so, however, a pair of strong, well-muscled arms had locked themselves around her waist. A small smirk played on her lips as she glanced back at Justin who, too, had been smirking. His lips pressed themselves against hers in a small, teasing peck. Just as he'd leaned in once more for another one, a ringing noise had resonated loudly from the bedroom. Brittany leapt back a bit at the startle brought on by the sudden ringing. Excusing herself, she retreated back into the bedroom and searched the pockets of her pants, which had been thrown on the floor, for her phone. Successfully finding it, she picked it up, "Hello?"

"Hey, Brit. It's Sonelle," said a voice from the other end of the phone. Brittany gave a slight half-smile.

"Hey, how's everything," she asked as she picked up the scattered clothes and stacked them in a pile in the corner of the room. Although Sonelle wanted to spill every bit of detail about her episode with Kofi last night, she couldn't. There were some things, even best friends, could keep from each other.

"Good," she simply said, "and how's everything with you?" Brittany replied with the same answer as she now crawled onto Justin's bed and rested her head on the pillow. "So, Kofi says it'll be a good idea if all of us go out and have some fun tonight at a club. Are you game," she asked Brittany whose eyes had already begun to close once more.

"Club? Sure! I'll tell Justin. Where should we meet up first, if we're going to meet up anywhere," Brittany asked. Sonelle gave a slight 'hmm'.

"How about the apartment? We'll have everyone meet there and then we'll all head off to the club together," Sonelle suggested. Brittany agreed, and so, the two girls ended their conversation there, bidding goodbye to one another and then hanging up. Brittany strolled back into the kitchen, clutching her phone in her hand. Justin, who had already served out the food and drinks, hungrily waited in his seat for Brittany to return. Brittany smiled and sat beside him on one of the barstools. "It was Sonelle," Brittany told him as they'd both begun to eat. Justin gave a slight 'mmm' too busy eating to think of much else to say. "She invited us to a club tonight. We'll meet up at our apartment and then from there we'll proceed to the club," Brittany also relayed. Justin nodded in accordance continuing to devour his food. Brittany watched him with one eyebrow raised. "Hungry," she asked. Justin, who had been sipping his orange juice now, gave a slight smile and set down his glass.

"Yes, well, I did manage to work up an appetite last night," he responded giving her a slight wink. Brittany's cheeks blushed a fair shade of red and in a moment, both their plates and glasses were emptied into the sink. As Justin excused himself to the shower, Brittany sat outside on the couch staring out through the transparent veranda door. Thinking it'd be best if she called Khaila to inform her of their plans, she pulled out her phone and quickly dialled the number. Pressing the phone to her ear, she heard Khaila pick up after one ring.

"Hello," she stated.

"Hey, Khaila. We're going out tonight to a club, want to come," Brittany asked as she continued to gaze out of the window.

"Um, sure. I'll tell Punk," Khaila responded.

"Alright, we'll meet up at Sonelle and my apartment, and then we'll take off from there," Brittany informed again. Khaila muttered a slight 'okay' and the two girls hung up. Brittany set her phone down beside her and continued to gaze out at the veranda blankly. For the first time, in a very, very long time, Brittany hadn't had thoughts processing through her mind so quickly that it would cause a headache. For the first time, in a very, very long time, everything felt alright. Looking back at the closed bedroom door, she smiled, for she knew why.

* * *

><p>Khaila had just set down the phone when Punk had burst through the bedroom door, covered in dirt. Khaila raised one eyebrow, "What… happened," she asked curiously as she stood herself up and attempted to brush off the dust on his shirt. Punk looked furious, still he allowed Khaila to continue with her attempt at brushing off the dirt that covered his once white shirt. He hadn't answered for a long while. Probably trying to contain his anger, Khaila thought as she continued to dust off his shirt. Finally, Punk sighed.<p>

"I was right outside, just coming in from the store around the corner, and as I'm closing up the gate, this idiot kid thinks it's funny to kick the pile of dirt that we usually have outside on _me_," he ranted in one breath. Khaila gnawed on her lip trying not to laugh. She merely gave him a sympathetic nod before lifting the shirt off his well-sculpted body. At this action, all traces of anger had disappeared from Punk. His expression became nothing but a sly, smug one with his usual smirk playing on his lips. Successfully pulling the shirt off of his head, Khaila bundled it up into a ball. As she attempted to make her way past him, Punk stopped right in front of her. Again she tried and failed once more. Glaring, playfully, up at Punk, Khaila folded her arms.

"Well, if you're not going to let me wash your shirt," she started. Punk's smirk had seemed to have gotten more smug as he stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her hips. Khaila's breathing had gotten deeper as she watched Punk's face near hers. His lips had merely touched hers, but in a second, they were sharing in a passionate kiss. Khaila's arms slid themselves around his neck, where his hands had begun to wander up her shirt. "Punk," she breathed to him as his lips left hers and hand begun to drift down her neck. She could feel his fingers inching themselves further up her blouse. "Punk, wait," she whispered to him. All she'd heard was a slight 'mm' from him. Sliding her hands down his arms and finally at the back of her shirt to his, she removed them. Punk broke the kiss and looked at her.

"What's wrong," he breathed to her, now rubbing the insides of her hands with his thumbs. Khaila simply looked up at him.

"I-I can't right now," she whispered to him. Punk raised one eyebrow. She'd noticed his lips about to mutter the word 'why'. Before he could say it she reminded him, "I'm pregnant, remember? I don't want … I don't know. I just don't feel comfortable with _this_ quite yet." Punk gave a slight chuckle.

"There are ways to … to _do it_, you know," he tried his luck again stepping closer. Khaila simply shook her head.

"Punk, I'm comfortable with it yet," she told him. Punk sighed a bit before a small smile had come onto his face.

"Alright," he uttered in defeat. Although Khaila still hadn't gotten a 'baby bump' yet, she didn't question it. After weeks of doubting herself before Punk had come back into her life once more, she'd finally begun to wrap herself around the thought that Punk and herself were having a baby, and she was not about to doubt herself any further. Khaila simply gave him a peck on the lips.

"Oh, we're going out tonight," Khaila remembered. Punk raised one eyebrow then shrugged. "We're going to meet up at Sonelle and Brittany's place and then we'll head off to the club from there," she told him as she gathered up some clothes in her arms and proceeded downstairs. Punk flopped himself on the bed letting his feet hang off at the end. Staring up at the ceiling, he thought about the months to come. In about 5 more months, they were going to have a baby. He was going to be a father. He was going to have a family. He chuckled a bit to himself thinking about what his peers would say. "CM Punk the father," he said aloud to himself. He definitely would need some time to get used to that, but he assured himself, eventually he would.

* * *

><p>The time had now rolled to 11:30pm when Amelia's phone had rung out loudly on her bed. Placing the box she'd been holding in her hand, which read 'Clearblue: Digital Pregnancy Test', back into the drawer, she retreated back to her bedroom and answered the phone. "Hello," she said as she sat herself down on her bed. She could hear murmuring behind whoever was speaking.<p>

"Hey, Amelia, are you coming or not," a voice sounding very much like Sonelle's had asked. Amelia's brow furrowed.

"S-Sorry? Where am I supposed to be," she asked rising up out of bed and immediately walking over to her closet.

"Next door, of course! I left you a message on your voicemail, don't you ever check that thing? We're going to a club in a couple of minutes," Sonelle relayed. A club?

"Oh, oh okay," Amelia said with a small smile. "I'll be there, just give me a couple of minutes." Sonelle muttered a slight 'okay', and both girls bade goodbye then hung up. Amelia dropped her phone on the bed and scavenged through the clothes in her closet, looking for something 'club-worthy'. Finally, she'd chosen a beige dress complimented with black heeled shoes. As she grabbed up a small black purse that she stowed her keys and phone in, she stepped out of her apartment, locking it behind her and knocked on the door next to hers. In a few moments, Sonelle, who had been wearing a black and gold dress, opened the door and greeted a Amelia with a hug. With a smile, Amelia walked inside only to see that Sonelle hadn't been alone. Khaila, Punk, Brittany, and Justin had all been there already. Khaila, who had been wearing a strapless, purple dress, had stood off in a corner of the room with Punk speaking in whispers. Brittany, who had been wearing a one-strap red dress, had taken a seat on the couch with Justin; the two had been sharing a kiss even before Amelia had gotten the call. Shyly entering into the living room along with the other couples, Amelia carefully thought about each step she'd take so as to not trip in her heels.

Amelia looked around for Kofi, but he was nowhere in sight. Apparently seeing Amelia's curious face, Sonelle told her, "He's showering; he just came back from RAW." Amelia gave a slight nod and a small smile. In the next second, Kofi had appeared coming down the hallway wearing a black, long-sleeved, button-down shirt. Sonelle immediately left Amelia's side and wrapped her arms around his neck. The two shared a gentle peck on the lips before conversing quietly between themselves. Amelia, having felt very awkward standing in a room full of couples, retreated to the kitchen where she opened up one of the cupboards and stretched for a glass. Suddenly, a hand from behind her had reached and retrieved the glass from the cupboard. Amelia turned around on her heel, careful not to fall, to thank the kind stranger. Looking up in the stranger's blue/green eyes, she'd realized … she'd seen those eyes before. Her blood ran cold and every strand of hair on her body was erect. She could feel the colour in her face fade as she stared up at her ex-boyfriend, Cody. He handed her the glass with a small smirk on his face. She hadn't realized the distance between the two had measured only a few inches until she glanced down at his lips.

"Hello," he whispered to her. Amelia merely took the glass and returned a small, polite smile looking away from his lips and staring fixedly at the glass she held in her hand. Cody took a step back, taking in Amelia's new appearance. "You look different," he whispered. Amelia, again, simply gave a small, polite smile. She didn't know what else she could say. She'd begun to feel herself flush with humiliation and regret all over again. Cody, having noticed Amelia's discomfort, simply cleared his throat and took the glass from her hands. "Would you like something to drink," he asked her politely, trying desperately to start a conversation with her. Amelia simply nodded.

"Yes, please," she hissed under her breath. Cody's lips pulled into a small smile at the sound of her voice. "Water, please," she spoke a bit louder. Cody gave a slight nod and filled the glass with water. Handing it back to her, Amelia gave a nod of gratitude and sipped her water from the glass still unable to look him directly in the face. She could hear Cody withhold a breath and then exhale it before speaking to her once more.

"Amelia," he spoke to her. She glanced back at him once then to her glass full of water once more. She could feel her skin crawling as she forced herself not to look at the man she still loved immensely, but wounded just as great. "Amelia, look at me," he whispered to her. Amelia refused, her eyes filling themselves with tears. She hadn't known why she became so emotional so quickly. She supposed the shutting out of the real thing as well as the memories had put a strain on her. She felt Cody touch her hand, and at this, she set down her glass already feeling it slip through her fingers. Amelia spun around on her heel, nearly tripping herself in the process, and looked up into the eyes she would give anything to call her own once again. She saw Cody's brow furrow as he tried to make sense of the tears that her eyes had been swimming in; nevertheless, he shook it from mind and opened his mouth to say what he'd originally planned on saying. The only problem with this was … he'd forgotten. As he stared into Amelia's tear-drowned eyes, he felt his mind run blank. All he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her, to let her know he wanted her just as much, if not more, than she wanted him.

Their lips started towards one another until a pair of heels had clopped their way into the kitchen. Cody jumped away from Amelia, who immediately returned to sipping her water and staring into the room full of couples. "Hey, dear," she heard Cody speak. Amelia turned around to see just who he'd been speaking to. What she saw next had made her heart plummet. Standing beside him wearing a grey, metallic-almost, strapless dress, was none other than Layla El. Her hair had fallen onto her shoulders like it usually would. Cody, who had extended an arm around her, gave Layla a small smile while Layla, who'd been carrying a glass of wine in one hand reached up and gave him a peck on his lips. Amelia gnawed on her bottom lip egging herself not to cry, not to spill her water, not to drop the glass or not to bitch-slap Cody and punch Layla in her jaw. Cody desperately tried to pull away from Layla's lips and to a very, lucky and successful attempt, he cleared his throat. "Um, Amelia," he began. Amelia looked up at the couple putting on her best fake-smile. "This is Layla, my girlfriend," he said, muttering the last part.

"Nice to meet you," Amelia said. Layla gave a slight nod and turned to Cody.

"So, when are we leaving again," she asked Cody. Cody put his hands in his pockets and gave a slight shrug. Amelia set down her glass of water and proceeded out of the kitchen.

"Everyone's ready, then," Kofi asked, looking around at all the couples and Amelia. Everyone gave a sure nod, except Amelia who merely gave a smile. The crowd proceeded out to the cars. Amelia, who had been offered a ride with Cody and Layla, declined and she rode with Kofi and Sonelle instead. The car ride was rather quiet, with the exception of whispers and giggles from time to time in the front seat between Kofi and Sonelle. Amelia took a deep breath; whatever she'd seen in the kitchen wouldn't defeat her, not tonight. Cody was allowed happiness especially after all you've done to him, she told herself. It's not his fault. She nodded in agreement with herself. You'll just go and have a great time at the club, Amelia, she told herself once more. She smiled a bit, somehow hoping that would bring a bit of confidence back into herself. In a few moments, after several turns and overtaking, they'd finally reached the club called 'Shameless Vegas'. Stepping out of the car, Sonelle, Kofi, and Amelia along with the other couples, proceeded inside. The club was magnificent.

The neon lights around the room flickered, changing to different colours at every second. The DJ system had been set up all the way to the back as were two poles, on either side of the system, and a showgirl to each pole. The crowd had taken the centre and right of the room. The bar and tables had been railed off and occupied much of the left side of the room. The girls and the superstars, themselves, had been absolutely awed by the brilliance of the place. Amelia watched as couples such as Punk and Khaila, Justin and Brittany and Sonelle and Kofi all excitedly made their way to the dance floor. Amelia clutched on tighter to her purse and looked around. She, obviously, had no one to dance with, and she hadn't worked up enough confidence to be dancing by herself. So with a slight shrug, she proceeded over to the bar section, seating herself at one of tables and looking out at the many dancing couples. "Would the lady like to dance," a voice from behind whispered in her ear. Amelia jumped a bit at the whisper and turned to look at the person only to see no one there. As she turned around, however, she'd noticed a smirking Cody Rhodes standing by her table. Amelia gave a little smile but shook her head.

"No, thanks," she told him before looking back over at the dancing couples. She heard the chair that sat opposite of her move a bit, and by the time she looked back Cody had seated himself in it, looking out at the dancing couples as well. Amelia raised one eyebrow and chuckled a bit, "Where's Layla? I thought you two would be on the dance floor by now." Cody looked at Amelia with a slight smile on his face.

"She's powdering her nose in the bathroom," he told her with a nod. Amelia muttered a slight 'mm' before staring back out at the dancers. Her hands had placed themselves on top of one another on the table. Suddenly, she felt a hand touch hers. Looking back down at the table, she noticed Cody's hand slide itself off hers quickly and back onto his lap. Amelia's cheeks reddened a bit as she looked up at Cody who gave her a smile. "Are you sure you don't want to dance," he asked her once more. Amelia smiled truly considering saying yes, until …

"There you are, Cody," a voice stated rather loudly as the owner of the voice seated herself on Cody's lap. Cody smiled a bit. Amelia bit her bottom lip and propped up her head with her hand looking at the dancers on the dance floor once more. Amelia heard nothing else come from Cody's direction. Her guess was that they were probably lip-locking intensely. As she glanced back to reach for her purse, she had been right. Suddenly, Layla had jumped up off of Cody's lap and extended a hand to him. "Let's go dance, Cody," she told him. Cody muttered an 'okay' and looked back at Amelia. Amelia gave both of them a courteous smile and head nod watching them leave to the dance floor.

Sitting there in the bar section of the club, she sighed a bit, drumming her fingers on the table waiting for herself to work up some courage to brave the act of dancing by herself. Looking out at the dance floor now and then, she could hardly point out some of her friends and their superstars. Punk and Khaila were nowhere to be seen, Justin and Brittany were all the way in the back towards the left corner of the room, and Sonelle and Kofi had been dancing to the far right corner of the room. The easiest couple that Amelia had spotted had been Cody and Layla, who had been grinding on Cody ever since she stepped out onto the dance floor. They were closest to the bar area. Every now and then, Amelia could swear she saw Cody glance at her, but perhaps it was merely what she _wanted_ to see than what was actually happening. "Care for a drink, miss," a voice whispered to her. Amelia broke her gaze from the dancing crowd and looked up at a tall, brunette man. Giving him a courteous smile, she shook her head.

"No, sorry, I don't drink," she told him truthfully. The man nodded once.

"Well, would it be okay if I sat with you," he asked. Amelia gave a slight nod and clutched her purse tightly in her lap. The man pulled the seat out and sat himself down in it looking at Amelia. "Do you come here often," he asked once more.

"Oh, no … I'm here with a couple of friends and their boyfriends," she relayed. The man gave her a charming smile and nodded after taking a sip of his drink.

"And where's your boyfriend," he asked. Amelia gave a slight chuckle.

"I don't have one," she informed him.

"Ah," he said, "well, shame on the fellows who've missed out. You seem like quite a lovely lady, if you don't mind me saying so." Amelia's cheeks flushed a vague shade of pink as she gave the man a polite smile. The man merely chuckled before standing up. "Would you like to dance with me," he asked as he reached for her hand. Amelia opened her mouth to decline, but the man persisted, "Come on. It's much more fun than sitting here all alone." Amelia gave a slight giggle and placed her hand in the gentleman's. He lead her out onto the dance floor. The danced rather close face-to-face. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," he spoke over the music. Amelia smiled.

"I'm Amelia, and you," she asked attempting to speak over the music as well.

"I'm -" the man began before he seemed to have lost his footing but quickly caught himself.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, sir; I didn't even see you," came a familiar voice. Amelia looked at Cody who had moved closer to Amelia and her dance partner. The man merely gave Cody a nod and continued to dance with Amelia. After a while, Amelia distinctly heard Layla announce to Cody that she was off to get a drink, and that she would be back on the dance floor in a bit. Amelia hadn't noted Cody's response. "I'm sorry," the familiar voice had interrupted Amelia and her partner's dancing once more, "but do you mind if I cut in?" The man opened his mouth to interject; however, Amelia had spoken before he could.

"No, no, it's fine," she told the man she'd been dancing with. "He's a friend," she explained. The man raised one eyebrow and stormed off of the dance floor. Cody took hold of Amelia's hand and watched the man storm away. Amelia looked up at Cody who had held both her hands in his. "Don't you think Layla would mind," Amelia asked him as they began to sway to the rhythm of the music. Cody shook his head.

"It's just dancing," he said. Amelia shrugged slightly. Maybe it was her biased opinion, but something told her Layla hadn't liked Amelia much. The music progressed and with every second, Amelia and Cody had danced closer and closer to each other until finally, Amelia had been mimicking Layla's dancing from earlier. She felt Cody's hands on her hips as she danced up against him - her back to his chest. Cody's lips slid themselves down her neck as Amelia's eyes fluttered down. Suddenly, a sharp gasp startled Amelia. Opening her eyes once more, she saw a stunned Layla holding a drink in her hand and staring at both Cody and Amelia. Amelia moved herself off of Cody.

"What do _you_ think _you're_ doing," Layla shouted at her. Amelia held up her hands, not wanting to fight Layla at all.

"I'm so sorry; I never meant for it to-" Amelia stuttered.

"Oh really," Layla questioned sarcastically. "What? You cheated on him, and now you want him back because he has a girlfriend; is that your whole story now? What? One guy isn't good enough for you, you little whore," Layla continued to shout this time giving Amelia a slight push. "You enjoy wrecking relationships, is that it," Layla shouted once more giving Amelia another push. Amelia glared at her. Her blood rushing through her veins and her fingers curling themselves into a fist. Layla laughed noticing Amelia's stance, "Oh! That's glorious, you want to hit me now? Do you see that, Cody-" she was stopped by the impact of Amelia's fist to her mouth which sent Layla tumbling back.

Layla grabbed at her jaw and felt for blood at her lip - there was a great deal there. Layla threw her drink at Amelia staining the entire front of her dress before leaping on her and sending both herself and Amelia onto the ground. Both girls had wrestled around on the ground. There were shrieks and yelling from the neighbouring crowd. Several drinks spilled on the two as they continued their fighting. Layla kneed Amelia in her stomach where Amelia gave her a black-eye. Suddenly, two arms secured themselves around Amelia's torso. Amelia kicked and fussed trying to get back at Layla, who had done the same. A voice whispered to her, "Alright, alright. Shh." Amelia watched Layla being carried out by the bouncer.

"We're through, Cody," she screamed at him. "Through, do you hear me! You can live it up with that little bitch while she whores around behind your back with every other guy she sees," she continued to scream before finally they'd brought her outside. The bouncer had rounded up Cody and Amelia as well as the entire party, including Kofi and Sonelle, Justin and Brittany as well as Punk and Khaila, and dismissed them from the club. The other couples headed off into their different ways - Kofi and Sonelle to her apartment, Justin and Brittany to his hotel suite, Punk and Khaila to their house and Cody and Amelia to Amelia's apartment. Amelia's face had now been tear stained and bruised lightly. Her lip had been cut and she felt as if she were about to throw up at any moment now from the hit she'd received to her stomach. Her dress was now stained and smelt strongly of a type of liquor, she'd never been familiar with in her life. Neither Cody nor Amelia spoke to one another during the course of the entire car ride. Stopping at the apartment, they'd both entered into Amelia's bedroom. Amelia could feel her body shaking.

Everything that Layla had screamed, the fact that all she did for Cody was ruin his relationship, and the fact that she'd just gotten the living daylights beaten out of her truly took a toll. "Amelia," Cody spoke as she slammed down her purse and kicked off her heels angrily. She was still upset at the things Layla had shouted across the entire club; moreover, she was upset with herself for what she'd done, which was wreck Cody's love life. She really couldn't help herself, could she? "Amelia," Cody spoke again, this time a bit more forcefully. She continued to ignore him; hurriedly taking out her earrings and sliding her bracelets off her hands so quickly that some of them had popped inducing beads to fall onto the floor. "Amelia, look at me," Cody said as he took hold of her hand. Amelia stared up into his eyes with her eyes swimming in tears.

"I'm fine," she muttered. Cody gave her a slight chuckle.

"No, you're hurt," he whispered to her.

"No, no, I'm fine," she said, "It's just a cut lip." She shrugged and attempted to pull away from Cody.

"Hang on, let me see it," he said once more in a hushed tone, placing both hands on her cheeks. Amelia stopped struggling and gave into the help Cody had offered. He gently touched her cheekbone and she flinched a bit. "You have a bruise there," he noted. He brought his face closer to Amelia's and she could feel his breath on her lips. "I can fix that," he whispered to her concerning her cut lip. Amelia gave him a gentle smile. Hesitantly, he brought his lips closer to hers. Amelia leaned in slowly as well. Their lips brushed against one another's, but before anything else could happen, a ringing noise had sounded from the bedroom. Cody let out a slight sigh and dropped his hands from her face, proceeding into the bedroom to answer his ringing phone. Amelia bit on her bottom lip, forgetting entirely about her cut. Pushing aside the shower curtains, she'd figured she'd try and soak her problems away tonight once Cody had left the apartment. Just as she had begun to run the tap, she heard footsteps sound behind her. Amelia turned around. Cody approached her from the doorway slowly. She hadn't known exactly why she'd stood up as Cody approached her; she just did. Cody slipped his hands onto her cheeks once more and looked up into her tear-filled eyes. "Amelia," he whispered to her. Amelia's eyes shifted between his eyes and his lips as she listened to what he was about to say. "I love you," he whispered to her. Tears had flown out onto Amelia's cheeks as she shook her head. She didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve Cody to love her.

"No, Cody," she whispered to him. "I don't deserve it - I never deserved it-" she'd been interrupted by a pair of lips that had crashed onto hers. Amelia's tears flowed down her cheeks as she continued to share in this passionate kiss. Amelia could feel something wet under her feet. Apparently, Cody felt it too; however, this hadn't stopped them from continuing their kiss. She could feel Cody's hands reach for the hem of her dress as he began to pull it off of her body. Amelia's fingers quickly unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off of his well-sculpted torso. In a moment's time, Amelia could feel her last article of clothing - her bra - snap off and be thrown next to the pile of Cody's clothes. With their lips still intensely locking onto one another's, Amelia felt Cody's hands lead her to something. Their kiss had finally broken for this second as Cody seated himself in the tub that was now overflowing with water. With a smirk, Amelia shut off the tap and crawled herself on top of him, and with this, their episode of pleasure had begun only to be ended several moments later. As she rested her head against Cody's chest, with her once spiky hair now completely pushed down, she asked him in a breathless tone, "Cody?"

Cody, whose hand had been rubbing her bare and wet back now, answered, "Yes." Wrapping her arms around his torso, Amelia closed her eyes.

"I never stopped loving you, you know," she whispered to him. A small smirk came over Cody's face as he rubbed her back slower.

Leaving a kiss on the top of her head, Cody closed his eyes and held her closer whispering, "I never stopped either." And with that, the couple had fallen asleep, wrapped in each other's arms finally, after a tiring four months of pondering about the love that was never lost.


	26. Chapter 26

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 26 -_ **Misread**

Amelia had woken up on a cold tiled floor in a long but narrow hallway that was lined with doors, wearing nothing but a white sheet that had been wrapped around her. She looked up at the ceiling that had been lit with fluorescent lights. If she was not mistaken, it looked as if it were some sort of hospital. "Hello," she called out in a panicky voice. Suddenly, she heard yelling from down the hallway. Amelia staggered to her feet and raced down toward the end of the hallway. This time, she'd heard screaming. "Hello," she cried once more. She stopped at the end of the hallway looking to her right and to her left thinking of where she should turn. Once more, she listened for any sign of life. She heard the screaming once more coming from a door directly to her left. Rushing into the door holding her sheet close to her, she stopped in the doorway.

What she had seen next had left her in utter shock and fright. In front of her, on the bed had been … herself wrapped in the exact same sheet she was wearing at the moment. Around herself, were doctors rushing and scribbling down on clipboards. She looked as if she were in great pain. Her face had been red and tear stained. She clutched onto the sheet she had been wrapped in as she watched the doctors huddle around herself. Craning her neck to see what they had been doing, she noticed that her legs had been spread open. "Okay, now, push, Amelia," a doctor said calmly. The Amelia on the bed did as the doctor instructed grabbing onto the sheets. "Keep pushing, Amelia," the doctors egged on. The Amelia on the bed complied once more and let out a slight groan as she did so. "One last time," the doctors spoke again. Then suddenly, in a few more moments of groaning, a doctor standing in front of the Amelia who had been watching made a movement and a crying so loud had erupted from the doctor's arms.

The Amelia who had been watching collapsed to the floor screaming. Pregnant? Delivery? A baby? No! She couldn't be! She absolutely couldn't be! No!

Suddenly two hands had gripped onto her arms and shook her a bit. "Amelia," the owner to the pair of hands said forcefully. Amelia opened her eyes to a confused and worried Cody. Her breathing was still heavy and her throat felt sore as if she were actually screaming. Tears flooded down onto her cheeks as she buried her face in Cody's bare chest. Cody stroked her back soothingly. "Amelia," he asked her in a hushed voice, "what's wrong?" Amelia's body was now trembling with the fear of being pregnant and the graphicness of her recent dream. Cody kicked the stopper off from the drain, allowing all the water in the tub to be sucked down. Reaching up, he managed to grab a towel off of the towel rack. Throwing it on her back, Cody wrapped his arms around her once more. Little did he know the cold hadn't been the source of Amelia's trembling. "Amelia," he whispered to her once more. "What's wrong," he asked again.

Amelia's crying hadn't ceased. The realness of the dream had borderline traumatized her. Cody rested his head on top of hers rubbing her back soothingly. After a few seconds, Amelia's crying hadn't stopped, but had calmed down. Now, able to at least utter a few words to him, she looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot. Cody used his thumb to wipe away any tears left on her cheeks. Amelia took a deep breath, or tried to at least, and finally spoke, "I-It was … m'dream." She buried her face in Cody's chest once more, her face now going red due to her inability to form proper sentences. Cody gave her a tight squeeze.

"Amelia," he whispered to her, "it's alright. Just calm down, love." He continued to rub her back. "You can tell me about the dream later if you want to, ok," he asked realizing Amelia was in no state to talk. Whatever her dream was, it sure had a way of affecting her greatly, Cody thought as he held Amelia in his arms. Minutes later, Amelia's breathing had stopped its franticness and had gone back to normal. Cody continued rubbing her back soothingly as he looked down at her, "Are you okay now?" Amelia looked back up at him and gave him a slight nod. With a sigh, she continued.

"I had a dream last night that … I was pregnant, and I was in labour," her eyes had begun to get watery once more. Her statement had left Cody in nothing more than what he had been feeling before - confusion. Pregnant, he thought to himself. It couldn't … would she know, he asked himself once more.

"Um, well … it-it was just a dream, wasn't it," he asked her, hoping he'd said the right thing. Amelia's gaze left his and focused themselves on the bathroom floor. She'd thought back to her constant dreams about Punk. She remembered telling herself that it was all just a dream, until … it had actually happened. She heaved a sigh. Perhaps Cody was right, maybe this dream was actually just a dream. Amelia looked up at him once more and gave one very unsure nod. Cody, sensing her uncertainty, suggested something else, "If you really think this dream is the real deal, then I could go get you those home pregnancy test things." Amelia withheld her breath. She'd already bought one for herself, two months ago after randomly suffering from what seemed like a severe case of nausea. Also, her menstrual cycles were off, and even though, Amelia knew she had irregular menstrual cycles, she'd only gone four months without her period one time before.

You went to a professional about the nausea, Amelia, she reminded herself, they didn't seem to think you were pregnant. Amelia nodded to herself trying to aspire some sort of confidence in herself. "Amelia," Cody's voice sounded once more. Amelia looked up at him. "The test? Do you want me to get you one," he asked once more. Amelia took a deep breath before shaking her head.

"No, I-I've already got one, actually," she relayed to him. Cody raised one eyebrow and gave a slight nod.

"Oh … a … alright then," he said in utter confusion. Had she already tried it? Was she pregnant? Was this dream just a way of breaking the news to him? What if she was pregnant? Think of your career, Cody! You worked so hard, and you're finally climbing up that ladder. You're young. You'll be in the spotlight. Do you really want a kid on your arm while you're doing that, he asked himself. Suddenly, a thought had occurred to him … what if it wasn't his? What if she were pregnant for Punk? Could it happen? Nonetheless, he continued, "And um … ha-have you checked?" Amelia shook her head. Cody let out a slight exhale. So, nothing was certain yet, he told himself.

"I-I will … right now, if you'll give me the time," she asked him. Cody gave a slight nod. Amelia got to her feet, tying the towel around her and throwing Cody a towel of his own. Once tying it around his waist, he rose up out of the tub and picked up his clothes off the floor proceeding outside to the bedroom. Amelia shut the bathroom door and looked at the drawer she'd kept the pregnancy test in. Heaving a sigh, she opened the drawer and removed the pregnancy test from the contents of its box.

Cody, now fully-clothed, sat himself outside on the bed waiting for Amelia to return with the results. He drummed his fingers on his knees as he stared fixedly at the bathroom door. His mind ran rampant with the thoughts that he'd pushed aside once before. What if she was pregnant? What would he do? What could he do? What if it's not his? He could feel his entire body tense up as a picture of a smirking Punk played in his mind. His hands had curled into a fist unconsciously. Cody could feel his heart pounding against his chest as he thought of raising a son that hadn't belonged to him, but … he didn't have to. He could … leave, couldn't he? All this had come as a shock for him, anyway. Maybe he really should've forgotten about Amelia. Just then, his thoughts had been interrupted by the opening of the bathroom door. Cody sprang up to his feet. He hadn't realized a whole 10 minutes had passed.

Amelia, still wrapped in her towel, walked herself over to Cody, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her. Cody held her closer to him. Amelia looked down at the pregnancy test in her hand. Cody's eyes followed hers. Only one line had been seen. Amelia looked up at Cody with a small smile. "I'm not pregnant," she whispered to him. Cody returned the small smile and kissed her forehead.

"I told you it was only a dream, love," he whispered to her. Amelia gave a nod, still smiling in relief. With Cody's grip loosening from around her, Amelia retreated back into the bathroom and disposed of the pregnancy test in the garbage. As she did so, however, something in her had felt strange. How was it possible to have _one_ dream that had been completely visual come true, while the other that was just as visual not be? Then again, what were the odds of dreams coming true at all?

* * *

><p>It was noon by the time Kofi and Sonelle had woken up. Sonelle blinked several times before her eyes opened themselves lazily. Kofi's had done the same. Sonelle looked up at Kofi, who had had his arm around her, with a gentle smile. Kofi, returning the smile, planted a kiss on her lips. "Good morning," he bade to her. Sonelle smiled and hugged him even tighter.<p>

"Morning," she bade in return, rolling over onto him. Kofi gave a slight chuckle as he stroked her hair slowly.

"What's on the agenda for today," he asked scooting himself back so that his head rested against the head board now. Sonelle smiled and shrugged. All she really wanted was to be alone with him today. Kofi, feeling her shrug, smiled in return and whispered to her, "Me too." And with that, the half-awake couple drifted off to sleep once more in each other's arms, enjoying the simplicity of the moment, and the physical presence of one another.

* * *

><p>"Justin," Brittany's voice rang out through the suite as she completely dressed herself and gathered up her purse from the bedroom. Justin, dressed in jeans and a clean, dark brown T-shirt, stepped through the doorway. Brittany gave him a small smile. "Are you ready? We have reservations, you know," she reminded him, referencing the lunch date that Justin had agreed to take her to. Justin gave her a nod and approached her, his arms locking themselves around her waist tightly. His lips moved into their usual smirk as he placed a kiss on her lips. With a small smirk playing on her own lips, Brittany kissed back. Although the kiss was rather slow, the passion was grand.<p>

In a few moments, Brittany's and Justin's lips had slowly pulled away from one another's. Looking up into each other's eyes with their foreheads pressed against one another's, they shared a smile, and in this moment, all reservations, all thoughts, everything had been pushed aside, for right now all that mattered to either of them was each other.

* * *

><p>Short planks of wood had been scattered all over the bedroom and there were paint stains on the carpet; a hammer and nails lay in the corner of the room next to an opened box which read 'Baby's First Crib'. Suddenly a shriek and a giggle erupted from outside of the bedroom door. Bustling through the door, Khaila ran inside, her cheeks with light pink stripes of paint across them. Khaila cowered into the corner of the room with a grin on her face, clutching a paintbrush with black paint on the tip of it. Just then, a man, with black stripes of paint painted across his shirt and face, clutching a paintbrush with light pink paint on the tip of it, had entered into the room, nearing Khaila with a devious grin. Khaila giggled and let out a slight shriek as he attempted to paint her face once more. Jabbing her paintbrush at him once more, she managed to catch his arm. The man chuckled a bit and swished the paintbrush at her once more. Khaila ducked it and sprung up out of the corner leaping onto the bed and then quickly into the bathroom closing the door and holding onto the handle. "Oh no, Khaila, you're not getting away," he said with a smirk on his lip-ringed lips. Khaila giggled as she crouched down and continued to hold onto the door handle.<p>

Suddenly, she'd locked the door handle and quickly backed herself up against the bathtub, figuring Punk would find a way to get to her. As she had done so, however, a bag of toiletries had fallen out of one of the medicine cabinets that would open every now and again at even the slightest movement. The contents of the bag doubled out onto the floor. Khaila quickly picked them up one by one, until … she'd stumbled across an object that she hadn't seen since Punk had come back. It was her pregnancy test. She'd kept it all this time, and she'd planned on keeping it forever. It might've seemed a bit strange, but she saw it as something she could one day show her child … if she were having one. Looking closer at the pregnancy test, she'd only seen one line on the reader instead of the usual two.

Khaila double-checked the meanings of the number of lines on the back: two lines meant pregnant and one line … not pregnant. Khaila rose from her seat on the bathroom floor with the pregnancy test in her hand and her heart sinking. Opening the door, she stood in the doorway. Directly in front of her stood CM Punk who clutched his paintbrush readily in his hand; however, seeing the look on Khaila's face … he refrained. "What's wrong, Khaila," he asked dropping the paintbrush immediately and wrapping his arms around her. Khaila looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I'm not pregnant," she breathed, every word plummeting her heart even more. Although she'd never planned for a child so early in her life, she was finally getting used to the idea that Punk and herself would have some sort of life between them. Now, all that had gone.

* * *

><p>Amelia had been doing her last minute chores around the apartment, cleaning up the kitchen, and arranging her closet and the living room. Busying herself around the bedroom, quiet not to wake a sleeping Cody, Amelia noiselessly pulled the drapes over the window giving the room a darkened sense once more. Having stacked up all the plates and organized the cupboards, she glanced around the apartment for anything else that might need her attention.<p>

Finally, after realizing she might as well empty the garbage while she'd received this sudden and random burst of energy, she opened up a large garbage bag. After bundling up the garbage bags of the kitchen's and living room's, she tossed them into the large garbage bag. As she left the large garbage bag to sit on the kitchen floor, she proceeded back into the bedroom only to make her way into the bathroom. As she lifted up the bathroom's garbage bin, she noticed something strange about its only content. Reaching in, she grabbed hold of the pregnancy test she'd thrown in there earlier this morning. The only problem was that she didn't remember _another_ line being on the reader.

Amelia's heartbeat quickened as she dropped the garbage bin that slammed harshly against the tiled bathroom floor. Her eyes fixed disbelievingly on the reading in front of her. Two lines? But there'd only been one this morning, she thought to herself frantically hoping it was all a dream. She could hear movement in the bedroom. Cody had woken up. Although she wanted to approach him and tell him to go back to bed, she couldn't move. She was frozen, almost petrified at the reading on the pregnancy test. "Amelia," Cody asked as he moved toward her frozen state. "Is everything alright-" he stopped himself, noticing she'd possessed the pregnancy test in her hands. Cody's heart had begun to beat faster.

Placing both hands on either sides of Amelia's arms, he looked at her face searching for some clue as to what had happened and why she'd held the pregnancy test. Amelia's eyes, which were now drowned in tears, looked up at his in utter shock. As she turned the pregnancy test around, showing him the results, Cody's eyes wandered down focusing on it, reading it for himself. Cody looked up at Amelia, whose cheeks had been wet with tears, subliminally asking if the reading meant what he'd thought it had. Amelia nodded slowly, having read the question right off of his face. Cody wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. Amelia's body trembled as her crying had gotten worse. Cody rubbed her back and rested his head on top of hers. The couple stayed there in the bathroom without a word coming from either of them. The only sound between them was the crying that had been brought on by Amelia.

Minutes passed, but neither of them moved - both too shocked to think of anything else but the reading on the once misread pregnancy test.


	27. Chapter 27

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 27 - _**Discords & Disintegration**

Cody's mind soared with different thoughts and questions. Should he leave Amelia? No, he couldn't. He loved her, hadn't he? But if the child wasn't his, what then would he do? Amelia had stopped her trembling and looked up at him, her face tear-stained and red. Cody's heart sank a bit as he watched her like this. Whatever thoughts ran through his mind were forgotten at this moment, Amelia needed him, and in some strange way, he was sure he needed her too. Cody planted a kiss on her trembling lips which seemed to steady themselves after the kiss; a sudden calm had filled the room by now. Pulling away from the kiss, Cody stared into Amelia's grey/green tear-filled eyes. "We'll get through this," he whispered giving Amelia a smile of confidence.

This hadn't helped her one bit. Although she returned an identical smile, she hadn't felt any more confident in herself. In fact, she was disappointed that she'd still been so young, and she was going to have a child. Not to mention the fact that she was still unsure of who the father was. Her eyes fluttered closed as Cody planted a kiss on her forehead. A sudden beep had sounded from Cody's pocket. Cody's hand left from around Amelia and fished around inside his pocket. What he had retrieved made Amelia sigh a bit. Cody gave her an apologetic smile and stole one more kiss on her lips before answering his beeping phone. He proceeded back out to the bedroom. Amelia watched him leave and looked down at the pregnancy test once more. She decided what she needed to - she had to see a doctor.

Would she let Cody come with her? Amelia shook her head almost instantly. She had to do this by herself, especially if it meant finding out who the father of the child would be. Amelia carried the pregnancy test into the kitchen, passing Cody who'd been standing with one hand on his hip listening to the person on the phone chatter away. Dropping the pregnancy test into the garbage bag, she slipped on a pair of flip-flops and proceeded outside to the parking lot of the apartment. Her first attempts at heaving the garbage bag into the dumpster were unsuccessful. She was still weak from all the crying and trembling. Suddenly, a hand from behind had caught hers aiding her in her third attempt at heaving the garbage bag into the dumpster.

Amelia spun around on her heel after the task had been completed. "Thanks, Cody," she said in a quiet voice with a slight smile. Cody smiled back and kissed the top of her head. Amelia noticed he had his keys clutched in his hand. "Where are you going," she asked as she looked up at him.

"Oh, to the arena for some practice," he said with a slight smile. "I'll be back at 10:00, alright," he asked giving her another peck on her forehead. Amelia smiled a bit at this, and wished him good luck. As she made her way back into her apartment, she sank herself onto the couch. Staring up at the ceiling, she allowed her thoughts to run. According to the once faulty home pregnancy test, she was pregnant. Did she believe it? Amelia scoffed a bit and shook her head, answering herself, 'no'. It had been misread once, couldn't it be misread twice? She needed to check. What about the father of the child, if she _were_ pregnant? Amelia sat upright and looked down at her knees. Could it have been Punk's? She raised one eyebrow trying to think back to her dream earlier. She hadn't recalled seeing a man there, and at this her worry had worsened.

* * *

><p>"Wh-What do you mean," Punk asked as he sat down on the bed, taking this all in. Hadn't they been planning for a baby for several months now? Khaila stood there with a look of disbelief and confusion rolled up into one as she continued to stare down at the pregnancy test that she had been holding in her hand for several minutes now. Khaila hadn't a voice to answer him. Standing there muted by her shock, tears had begun to form in her eyes. After so many months of thinking she had some sort of life in her, she had actually been looking forward to the baby.<p>

Punk stood up and placed both hands on her cheeks, lifting her face up to his. Staring into her tear-filled eyes, he closed his and gave her a peck on her lips. Khaila's eyes had, too, closed themselves as she continued the kiss. The kiss intensified and Punk's hands slid themselves down from her cheeks and onto her hips. Punk's lips drifted from her lips to her neck allowing chills to race all through Khaila's body. She could feel herself moving backwards now. Suddenly, she felt herself pressed up against the cold wall of the bedroom. Her bottom lip slipped under her teeth as she felt Punk's breath all along her neck and shoulders. In one swift movement, Punk's lips had stopped and he started pulling off her shirt. Just as Khaila had raised her arms for him to complete his task, something rang behind him. Punk stopped and looked towards the bed.

Khaila closed her eyes and let her arms drop to her sides while Punk made his way over to the bed picking up her ringing cell phone. "Hello," he asked as he answered the phone. Khaila could tell there was a bit of anger in him. "Who - Oh, yeah. She's here," he said. Khaila made her way over to him and reached out for the phone. Punk held up a hand. "No, this is still Punk," he told the person over the phone. "Khaila's right here," he spoke once more. Khaila giggled a bit as she reached for the phone once more. "Well, you didn't ask to speak to her," Punk stated. Khaila giggled and moved closer to Punk reaching for the phone. Punk smirked down at Khaila and stroked her back slowly. "You know, actually, I think she might be busy," he lied. Khaila laughed and jumped for the phone clutched in his hand. "Yes, I'll take a message-" Punk spoke before Khaila successfully took hold of the phone.

"Hello," Khaila asked hoping whoever it was hadn't hung up.

"Khaila," a voice over the phone sounding like Sonelle's chimed in. "Two things … one, Punk is infuriating and two, how would you and Sir Infuriation like to come over tomorrow night and we have dinner with Brittany and Justin and Cody and Amelia," she invited. Khaila raised one eyebrow contemplating all of this. After all, just last night Amelia had caused _something_ to go wrong which resulted in them being kicked out of the club. Then again, she had wanted to tell her friends about the shocking news that'd happened recently. Khaila sighed.

"Sure," she said. "I'll tell Punk."

"Alright," Sonelle said cheerily, "See you at 7:00 tomorrow then?" Khaila muttered a small 'mhm', and the girls bade goodbye hanging up. Two arms locked themselves around Khaila from behind taking the phone out of her hand and placing it on the table beside them. His lips pressed themselves against her cheek.

"Punk," Khaila whispered to him. Punk gave a slight smirk.

"Yes," he hissed reaching for the bottom of her shirt once more. Khaila bit on her bottom lip allowing him to pull it off. He spun her around so that they were now facing each other. He leaned his forehead against hers looking down at her lips. Khaila released her bottom lip.

"Nothing," she whispered. Punk smirked and picked her up, placing her flat on the bed. Punk crawled on top of her and in a moment's time, both lay beneath the sheets, one on top of the other. They'd forgotten entirely about the discovery they'd made just recently if only for this moment - this moment of pleasure.

* * *

><p>The hours rolled on and as night became day, Brittany, who had been lying across Justin's bare chest, awoke with a slight startle. Brittany looked up at him and smiled, giving him a gentle kiss on his lips. Even though he was sleeping, Brittany distinctly swore she saw his lips twitch into a smile. As she rose up out of the bed, she quickly retreated to the bathroom taking the robe off of the hook and tying it securely around herself. Proceeding back outside to the bedroom, she quickly crossed over into the living room seating herself on the couch and flicking on the T.V. careful not to turn it too loud. As she sat there with her head resting against the frame of the sofa, she contemplated about tonight.<p>

Tonight would be the dinner Sonelle had invited them to, and although, Brittany wasn't embarrassed about Justin (who could be?) she could tell that he never truly fit in with the rest of the guys. He was different as far as Brittany was concerned, and she was fine with that. Her thoughts then fell to what would become of the rest of the dinner guests. Already Amelia had proven that she couldn't go out with Cody without raising some sort of havoc. Imagine what she'd do now that she was indoors with people she'd actually had a history with. Brittany shook these thoughts from her head. Perhaps everything would turn in good favour. "You're up early," a South African-accented voice spoke breaking Brittany's contemplation. Brittany looked up at a shirtless Justin Gabriel giving him a slight smirk.

"It's 9:00 am," she told him. He chuckled a bit before making his way back over to the couch, sitting on the arm of it and extending his arm around her. Brittany slid herself closer to him. She saw Justin yawn a quiet yawn, and she chuckled. "Someone's still tired," she whispered to him. He chuckled and planted a kiss on her head.

"I'll be more awake tonight when we go to … where are we going again," he asked as he moved himself from sitting on the couch's arm to sitting on the couch itself.

"Sonelle and my apartment for dinner," she reminded him. He nodded recalling that she had mentioned something about that last night. As the two cuddled within each other's arms, Brittany emptied her mind. In a matter of hours, she and Justin would be dining with friends, and nothing could possibly ruin that.

* * *

><p>The time had been 6:02 pm the last time Kofi had checked the digital clock on Sonelle's bedside table. Sonelle had been getting ready in the bathroom as Kofi lay, already dressed, on the bed flipping through sports channels. Suddenly, Sonelle stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a black dress with gold design patterns patterned around the waist of it. Kofi sat up almost immediately and smirked her way. Her cheeks flushed a light shade of red as she proceeded into the bedroom. Kofi rose to his feet taking one of her hands in his. "You look stunning," he whispered to her as he neared her slowly. Sonelle looked up at him and gave a smile of gratitude.<p>

"As do you," she whispered back. Kofi's lips twitched into a smirk before his eyes wandered down from her eyes to her lips. His hands found themselves on her cheeks as he leaned in slowly for a kiss. Sonelle's eyes fluttered down as she seized the front of his shirt gently. Their lips fused with a passion they'd never experienced before. She could feel Kofi's tongue intrude her mouth and the kiss further intensified. Kofi's hands had now found their way onto her hips where her hands travelled north and landed themselves on his shoulders. The kiss slowed to a stop, and just as it had ended, a knock had resonated through the apartment. Sonelle blushed as she looked up at Kofi who'd been smirking down at her. "I'll get it," she whispered as she gave him one last peck on the lips. Kofi, however, wanted more than a simple peck.

Just as Sonelle had been looking to walk through to the living room and then to the door, he seized her by her arm and pulled her back to him. She giggled. "Kofi, our guests," she whispered. Kofi smirked.

"Forget about them," he mumbled as his lips travelled down her neck. Sonelle's teeth was withheld her bottom lip as she enjoyed the feeling of Kofi's kisses all along her neckline. The knocks had gotten louder, and Sonelle giggled.

"Later," she whispered to him placing her hands on his cheeks and lifting his head away from her neck. Kofi gave a disgruntled 'okay' and watched as Sonelle left to the door. Opening it, Brittany and Justin had stepped in. Brittany was wearing a black and red dressed that had a rose pinned to the right side of her waist. Sonelle hugged both Brittany and Justin as Kofi hugged Brittany and simply shook hands with Justin. The four sat in the living room awaiting the other couples.

The guys talked mostly sports and Justin indulged in tales about South Africa as Kofi had been interested in it ever since he'd learned Justin was from there. Sonelle and Brittany who had excused themselves into the kitchen after a while immediately divulged in their worried for tonight. "I know she's our friend, but just look at what happens around her! The first time the four of us had gotten together at a party, she sleeps with Khaila's guy; the next time we go out together, she gets us kicked out of club for being involved in a fight," Brittany relayed in a whisper. Sonelle gave a nod meaning that she'd been listening.

"I get what you're saying," she told Brittany. "Strange things do happen to follow her where she goes." Brittany gave a slight sigh and nod. In little to no time, there had been knocks once more at the door. As Brittany reached the door, pulling it opened. She immediately embraced Khaila who'd been wearing a grey and black dress that tied to the back. Brittany, who'd finally noticed Punk with Khaila, gave him a slight smile and proceeded back to the kitchen. Punk walked in, gave Kofi a slight hug, and shook Justin's hand. The three men sat in the living room now changing their discussion from sports to comic books and movies. Khaila found herself in the kitchen with two of her friends. The three had finished setting a nice enough table in the kitchen area just as more knocks had sounded at the door.

As Sonelle had gone over to get the door, she noticed Punk rise up out of the sofa and pull the door open. Sonelle smiled. Maybe Punk wasn't so bad, she thought to herself as she proceeded back to the kitchen in an attempt to pick out glasses and napkins. Amelia, who had been dressed in a gold coloured dress that tied around the waist, and Cody stepped into the apartment. Cody and Punk shot daggers at each other as they walked past each other. "What's your problem, man," Punk asked as he continued to glare at Cody. Amelia could feel Cody's grip tighten around her hand. Amelia let out a slight gasp as the tightening continued and Cody immediately released her hand.

Cody rolled his eyes from Punk to Kofi and Justin. He proceeded over to them and sat down continuing to discuss comic books and movies. Punk joined the group later, but neither Cody nor Punk talked directly to each other. Amelia kept a weathered eye on the both of them while she helped Sonelle, Brittany and Khaila prepare the remainder of the food. Amelia was always carefully listening to the men's conversation making sure Cody nor Punk's tone got too angered or loud. Sonelle had called for dinner and all four men rose to their feet. Each person served their comfortable amount of food and seated themselves at the table that Sonelle, Khaila and Brittany had prepared. Sonelle and Kofi sat at opposite ends of the table where as Cody and Amelia sat opposite of Punk and Khaila. Further down the table, Justin and Brittany had sat facing each other. The couples dined rather nicely together and drifted their separate ways after the meal. The girls had stayed in Sonelle's bedroom whereas the guys placed themselves in the living room once more.

"Guys," Khaila started out slowly. All heads turned towards Khaila as they waited for her to continue her statement. Khaila took a deep breath. "Well … this isn't happy new - not for me, anyways. I-I," she stuttered as her eyes filled with tears. "R-Remember my pregnancy test," she asked both Brittany and Sonelle who nodded in unison. Khaila sighed once more. "Well … I found it the other day, and … it read not pregnant." Sonelle and Brittany's mouths gaped opened. Amelia merely stared at her blankly. Emotions raged inside of her; she wondered whether or not she should tell the girls about her pregnancy test as well. Brittany and Sonelle flew to Khaila's side, comforting her. Amelia looked down at her fingers and bit on her lip. They were her friends, right?

"I-I have something to say," Amelia stated in a little more than a whisper. All three heads looked up at her. "I-I'm pregnant," she whispered. Their eyes widened as they looked at Amelia in utter disbelief almost as to ask aloud, 'Really?' Amelia gave a nod answering the questions that were apparent on their faces. Khaila took a sip of her glass of Spite as she continued to look at Amelia.

"You know, maybe the baby will be good for you," she said in a hopeful sort of voice. Brittany and Sonelle nodded once more.

"Yeah, definitely! I mean, you love kids, and you'll be a great mom," Brittany continued.

"And think about Cody! He'll make a great father," Sonelle stated beaming at Amelia trying to instil a bit of hopefulness in her friend. Amelia withheld her breath at Sonelle's statement before exhaling it. She looked down at her fingers once more.

"Th-That's the thing," Amelia continued in a hushed tone, "I-I don't know if Cody's the father. It-It might be Punk," she finished looking at Khaila. Khaila looked at her with tears filling her eyes. Punk? No! She couldn't! No, no, no! This was wrong - absolutely, unequivocally _wrong_. She and Punk were supposed to have a baby, not Punk and Amelia. Khaila's body filled with raging emotions. She wanted to comfort Amelia in her time of confusion, but she also wanted to smash the glass she'd been holding over her head. Before either of them had a chance to speak, shouting and yelling had come from outside. The girls sprinted down the hallway only to gasp at the sight they'd seen in the living room.

On the floor, wrestled Punk and Cody who were shouting swears to each other and giving each other bruises upon bruises. Punk's jaw had a nasty black bruise as Cody's lip was bleeding. Both Kofi and Justin had attempted to pry the men off of each other, but nothing worked. "Amelia, do something about your boyfriend," Brittany said shoving her at the wrestling men. Amelia spun around on her heel facing Brittany.

"It's not only _my _boyfriend involved in this fight, Brittany," Amelia spoke. Her emotions rising between being angry at herself for being pregnant, angry at Cody for being in the fight and angry at her friends for thinking that Cody and herself always started unfortunate things. Brittany glared at her.

"He's the main one, Amelia," Brittany answered back her voice now rising over the shouting. Khaila and Sonelle simply looked at each other separating the two. "This _always_ happens! We invite you somewhere and you just mess everything up! I have half the nerve to say that Layla was half-righ-" she was stopped by Amelia attempting to run at her and tackle her to the floor. Khaila stood in front of Amelia where Sonelle stood in front of Brittany.

"Don't touch me," Amelia yelled as she pulled away from Khaila. Her temper had risen so much; she'd never felt this angry before in her life. So many things were happening all at once. Everyone was blaming her for something, including herself. "Your boyfriend's the one who probably started this thing, anyway! You fix it," Amelia called to Khaila. Khaila's mouth hung open as if she were about to call back to Amelia, but Sonelle grabbed Khaila's arm.

"What's wrong with you," Sonelle added in a disgusted-tone at Amelia. Amelia looked away from both of them turned to Cody and Punk who were finally being pried off of each other. Cody immediately tried to deliver a punch at Punk who had been attempting the same thing.

"Why don't you try keeping your dick in your pants," Cody yelled at Punk still fighting to get back at him.

"Yeah? Why don't you try asking your girlfriend to keep her legs closed first," Punk called back. Cody shouted a swear word and broke free from Justin's grasp attempting to punch Punk in his jaw. Kofi who had been between the two men pushed Cody off. Cody looked around the room and finally spotted Amelia near the door mouthing 'stop' to him. Cody cussed one more swear word at Punk before grabbing onto Amelia's arm and pulling her out of the apartment. Amelia shook herself out of Cody's grasp and opened her apartment door. Locking the door behind both of them, Cody sighed and approached her.

"Amelia, I-" Cody started calmly.

"What the hell was that, Cody," Amelia yelled at him. Cody looked at her confusedly.

"That was me trying to defend you," he shouted back. Amelia shook her head and slammed down the keys on the floor marching off into the bedroom.

"Do you even know what they're saying about us," Amelia called back to him as she kicked off her shoes. Cody, who had been following behind her just as angrily, had nearly been hit as she spun around on her heel again facing him. "They're saying that we fuck everything up whenever we're around," she continued to yell. "That back there made it no better, Cody!"

"What the hell did you want me to do? Did you want me to just _let_ him insult you," he yelled back at her. "I'm sorry, then, Amelia. I didn't mean to defend you, to protect you." Amelia's chest heaved.

"You mean you honestly couldn't have found a better way than _fighting_ the guy," Amelia persisted. She knew she was right! … right? Cody looked at her confusedly.

"Well then what _should_ I have done then," he continued to shout. Amelia stormed away from him into the bathroom taking off her jewellery. "Let him insult you? Is that what I should've done? Well, I'm sorry, but by no means would I have let that happen." Amelia sighed and shook her head.

"It's not about what you were fighting for. It's just the mere fact that you fought him, Cody! You're not helping our situations with our friends," she continued.

"Well then maybe they're not our friends," Cody stated. "You, yourself, heard what they say about us together, Amelia! _Think_. Maybe _those_ aren't friends!" Amelia turned to face him shocked that he'd say that.

"Everything was just fine before you started the fighting with Punk," Amelia pointed out still raising her voice.

"No, everything was fine before you decided to let Punk in between your legs," Cody shouted at her. Amelia's heart plummeted. She turned away from him arranging and rearranging her jewellery so as not to cry in front of him. Cody looked down at his hands and left the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. Amelia's tears now flowed like a waterfall onto her cheeks. She swallowed several knots in her throat before going back out into the bedroom. It was apparent that Cody hadn't left. He was probably in the living room, thinking it all over - just as she had been doing.

She knew she loved Cody, but she also knew she was right to tell him off about the fighting. Wasn't she? She sighed, not bothering to take off her dress or make-up. She simply curled up on the bed, allowing her flowing tears, now filled with mascara, to run onto the pillows. Everything had been happening so suddenly for her. She was pregnant, she was questioning her friends, she was fighting with her boyfriend, and she didn't know who the father of the child was. Everything was weighing her down. She felt angry at everything, especially herself. Maybe Layla and Brittany were right … maybe if she'd kept her legs closed 3/4 of the issues that she were having right now wouldn't have happened. Amelia closed her eyes as the tears that continued to flow out of them non-stop, put her to sleep.

And so the disintegration begins.


	28. Chapter 28

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 28 - _**The Appointment**

Dusk had barely broken in when a pair of soft lips touched Amelia's. Amelia opened her eyes lazily only to stare up into the blue/green eyes of Cody, who had been kneeling beside her bed. Amelia's eyes filled with tears again. She was wrong, like always. She had no business fighting with Cody. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Cody stopped her by placing his lips against her once more. "Don't say it," he whispered to her once they had pulled away from the kiss. Amelia's lips twitched into a small smile as Cody placed his warm hand on her mascara-tear-stained cheek. Amelia's eyes closed at the warmness of his palm.

Cody could feel his throat getting tight, for during this course of time, he'd been debating whether leaving her or staying with her was the right thing to do. He wanted to stay with her, knowing that she needed him, but after everything that's happened, was he good enough for her? Amelia's eyes opened once more and stared into his, leaving all Cody's doubts and thoughts to be forgotten if just for a moment. Neither spoke, but they both listened. The silence had been filled with comfort and words that need not be spoken but were simply understood. Whatever their decisions were to be, they were sure of one thing, it wouldn't be for the betterment of themselves, but for the betterment of each other.

* * *

><p>"I know what she did Brittany, but don't you think you were a little hard on her," Sonelle asked as she paced around her apartment with her cell phone clutched to her ear.<p>

"Me? Harsh? Did you see the way she almost came at me, Sonelle," Brittany asked. Sonelle sighed.

"I'm not getting into this with you, Brit, but neither should you. Whatever happened between her and Punk is just exactly that - _between her and Punk_," Sonelle stated sitting herself on the couch.

"Don't forget that it was not only them that were affected by their mistake, but _our_ best friend, Khaila," Brittany replied. Sonelle sighed once more.

"Alright, Brittany, look. I have to go anyways, I'll text you later," Sonelle stated before hanging up immediately. She set her phone down beside her and took in a deep sigh. As she looked back on everything now, their entire friendship was disintegrating right before their eyes. Amelia and Cody and Punk and Khaila just aren't people you'd put together, especially not after what Amelia and Punk had done and recently what Amelia had discovered and disclosed to the girls. Brittany was still very upset with Amelia for wounding one of her best friends, and Justin seemed to be quite indifferent in this situation. As far as Sonelle was concerned, she and Kofi were the peacemakers of the entire disintegration.

Sonelle always believed in second chances; in fact, when she'd gotten the slightest chance to speak to Amelia at the café, she jumped at it. Years of friendship aren't meant to be thrown away just like that. It looked as if what everyone said about the WWE was right - it truly isn't a place for friends. Suddenly, a hand rested itself on her shoulder from behind. Sonelle jumped a bit as she looked up at the man who'd been grinning at her. She smiled and watched as Kofi crossed over and took a seat on the couch beside her. Extending his arm around her, he asked, "Are you ok?" Sonelle gave a slight nod. Kofi smiled and kissed the side of her head. "Don't worry; everything will work out. Trust me," he whispered to her. Sonelle smiled. Maybe that's all she really needed to do - to just stop trying to make everything better and let it fall into place. After all, isn't it always said that the greatest things happen when we fall?

* * *

><p>Brittany slammed her phone down on the bed muttering an 'ugh' under her breath. Justin, who had been lying beside her the whole while, finally looked up at her. He flicked off the T.V. and sat up almost immediately. "Everything alright," Justin asked. Brittany gave a nod.<p>

"Just friend stuff," she muttered to him. Justin gave a slight smile and pulled her into his chest. Brittany smiled at this.

"You're doing too much," he whispered to her kissing her cheek once. Brittany sighed and shrugged. "Everything will take shape, don't worry," he whispered to her again. Brittany looked at him hopefully and smiled.

"Thanks, Justin," she whispered back. Justin gave a slight smirk and kissed her lips once. His way of saying 'you're welcome', she assumed. Suddenly, Justin removed himself from the bed. Brittany raised one eyebrow confusedly. "Where are you going," she asked having noted that he was heading out into the living room. Justin simply smiled.

"It's a surprise," he stated, "close your eyes." Brittany did as she was told, and Justin left the room suddenly. Then, just as suddenly as Justin had left the room, she felt two hands take hers and leave something papery in them; then in one more second, she felt two lips press against hers for a peck. "Open them," he whispered in her ear. Brittany opened her eyes and looked down at her hands that were indeed clutching pieces of paper. Brittany opened her hands revealing two plane tickets. Her eyes widened with excitement as she looked back up at Justin who gave her a nod. "Look at them closer," he continued. Brittany held them up closer and read 'Cape Town, South Africa' on one of them. Her heart pumped extremely fast before letting out a slight shriek and flinging her arms around Justin's neck.

Justin smirked and hugged her back. "Our flight leaves Saturday," he told her. Brittany smiled and kissed his lips once.

"I love you, you know that, don't you," she told him staring into his eyes. Justin smirked.

"I'm glad I do," he whispered to her. The two kissed once more before Justin had tackled Brittany onto the bed once more. It was no denying it, Justin had a way of making her forget her worries, and in truth, that was all Brittany had ever wanted.

* * *

><p>"But you already <em>know<em> you're not pregnant," Punk said as he struggled to put on his converse.

"I want to make sure," Khaila told him as she retreated out of the bathroom wearing blue jeans, a plain black blouse and a pair of flip-flops.

"I hate hospitals," Punk mumbled under his breath. Khaila giggled at this and pulled on his hand. Punk had finally gotten his foot into his converse when Khaila had been tugging him down the stairs. The two scrambled into the car and drove towards the hospital. In a moment's time, Khaila had performed the tests instructed by the doctor, and proceeded out into the waiting room with Punk who was sitting near the receptionist's counter. Punk, who had one arm around Khaila, held a comic book in his lap and read it silently. Khaila rested her head on his shoulder, anxiously waiting the results of the test. A couple of minutes had passed before two very familiar faces had walked in.

* * *

><p>Amelia stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of Khaila and Punk. Punk's head lifted itself up and glared at Cody who glared back. Cody rolled his eyes away from Punk and kissed Amelia's head.<p>

"You sit down. I'll confirm the appointment," he whispered to her. Amelia gave a slight nod, and her stomach had begun to churn once more. As she took a seat farthest to the back, she stared at her knees hoping this humiliation and embarrassment would be over-with. Cody approached the nurse behind the counter and gave a small smile. In a hushed voice, he continued, "Yes, I'm here with a Miss Amelia Rose; we're here for a … paternity test." Cody could hear a slight snicker towards his left. His fingers curled themselves up into a fist ready to strike Punk once more. The nurse, who had been checking the many papers scattered on her desk, finally looked up and smiled.

"Yes, here it is - the pre-natal ," she said, "I'll call you both up in a moment." Cody gave the nurse a courteous nod and retreated back to a seat beside Amelia. Amelia's hands had been trembling in her lap. Cody extended an arm around her and placed a hand on hers. He pressed his lips to her temple giving it a slight peck trying to inspire a bit of confidence and sureness in her even though he had lacked quite a bit of both qualities at the moment as well. His mind still raced on whether or not he should leave Amelia. After thinking about it last night, he'd assured himself that all he did was complicate her life, and she didn't need that especially if she were going to have a child. Should he stay with her though? If the child turns out to be his, would he risk being a burden to Amelia for the sake of his child growing up in a home with both parents? But what if the child isn't his? Would he stay? Why would he? It's not his. He has nothing to lose. Just the thought that he may be raising the child of another man, especially a man who he detested, boiled his blood.

Suddenly, from across the room, Cody noticed Punk and Khaila rise from their seats to greet a doctor that had a manila envelope in his hand. Cody watched both Punk and Khaila's face remain expressionless as the doctor continued to speak and point at the envelope, Cody could swear he saw the doctor utter the words 'not pregnant'. Both Punk and Khaila nodded in unison and thanked the doctor before leaving the hospital. Suddenly, the doctor had stopped in front of both Cody and Amelia. "Good afternoon," he said happily. Amelia gave an uneasy smile as she staggered to her feet. Cody kept his arm around her for support. "Are you the couple who's receiving the Chorionic Villus Sampling," he asked. Cody shot the man a confused look. The doctor chuckled, "Oh, I'm sorry. The CVS is a step we use prior to the actual paternity testing." Amelia gave another uneasy nod. "Right. Well, come this way," he said as he led them off to a room with a large bedlike furniture covered by a sheet. After being told that the process would acquire her to strip down and wear a Johnny Skirt (which the doctor handed to her immediately), both Cody and the doctor left the room.

Amelia stripped down placing the Johnny skirt over her and positioning herself on the furniture awaiting the doctor. A few minutes later, the doctor stepped inside with a nurse who dragged an ultrasound system behind her. As the crammed it into the room, the procedures proceeded, and in about 20 minutes, she was finished. Amelia sat herself up carefully and hopped off of the bedlike furniture careful not to miss her footing. Although it hadn't concerned her before, she felt the need to ask why she hadn't grown a 'baby bump' as yet if it was the beginning of her fourth month of pregnancy. The doctor clarified that not all women have 'baby bumps', nor do all of them fully develop it till later one. Amelia thanked the doctor as he left the room allowing her the privacy to change back into her original clothing. As she exited out of the room, Cody, who had been leaning against the wall opposite the door, jumped and wrapped his arms around her tight.

Amelia gave him a small smile and hugged him back. "How did it go," he asked. Amelia nodded her head.

"The doctor said the baby's developing just fine even though I don't quite have a bump yet," she relayed. Cody gave her a small smile. The doctor came over to them one last time relaying when they could pick up the results of the paternity tests, which was 5 days. Both Cody and Amelia thanked the doctor one last time and proceeded home, nervously anticipating the results.

* * *

><p>Finally, the day had come around. Cody and the remainder of the superstars (and Brittany) had already departed Chicago and proceeded to the other states for their upcoming shows. Amelia had noted, however, that before leaving, Cody had been different. He wouldn't talk to her as often as he would. He would refuse to sleep with her or even go out to dinner with her. Amelia withheld her breath. Perhaps he was just nervous about this whole thing, she assured herself. As she stepped out of her apartment, she immediately climbed into her car and drove to the hospital. Stepping in, she waltzed over to the receptionist, gave her name and stated her business. The nurse gave a slight nod and searched for the package beneath disorganized stacks of paper. Finally, she'd found it and handed it to Amelia, who gave a small smile and thanked the kind nurse.<p>

Amelia turned the package over and over in her hands as she walked through the door and out to her car. She decided that it would be best if she opened it at her apartment. She sped off down the road wanting to reach the apartment in as little time as possible. Finally, she'd reached. Stepping out of her car, she carried the package inside and up to her apartment. Locking the door behind her, she retreated to her bedroom, sitting cross-legged on her bed and staring at the package in front of her. What if it wasn't Cody? What would she do? What would she tell Punk? What would she tell Cody? Tears had begun to fill her eyes as she gnawed on her lip and opened the package.

Pulling out the sheet of paper from inside, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she opened her eyes and read the sheet, tears gushed out of her eyes. She read and re-read the sheet several times, her eyes still falling onto the first sentence on the sheet, 'We have completed a kinship analysis on samples from the individuals listed below. Based on the scientific evidence, we conclude that Cody Runnels cannot be the biological father of the unborn child.' Amelia trembled as she kicked the sheet and the envelope off of the bed. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she dialled a number on her phone. Pressing the phone to her ear, she tried to stop her hyperventilating. A voice on the other end picked up, "Hello?"

Amelia cried into the phone once more and muttered, "Cody, I'm so sorry." In an instant, she hung up unwilling to listen to whatever else he was going to say whether it be negative or positive. She couldn't be sure. She dropped her phone onto the bed and lay back onto her pillow. Closing her eyes, she continued to weep. The child was for Punk. Everything had changed. Cody wouldn't come back to her. He couldn't. Why would he? What use would there be? Perhaps Layla was right, she did have an knack - an incredibly good one at that - for ruining relationships - even if it were her own. Amelia's crying hadn't lightened up.

With her eyes still tightly shut, she saw the face of the blue/green eyed man she loved indefinitely and with every fiber of her being shaking his head disapprovingly at her, before finally his image disappeared from her mind. Even though, she shut her eyes even tighter to regain the image of the man, nothing happened. He was gone, leaving no trace of recollection behind.


	29. Chapter 29

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 29 -_** The Last Goodbye**

It was four months later, and so much had occurred for each of Amelia's friends during this course of time. The adventures that each had been on were incredible, and the outcomes of these adventures were even greater…

"Brittany," Justin called through their house, as he struggled with his tie. Justin could distinctly hear a voice call, 'Coming', from downstairs in the living room. He smirked to himself as he looked outside of the bedroom window. The sun was just about to set in their town of Cape Town, South Africa. The sky was a brilliant orange/red colour and the clouds lazily rolled across the sky. The scene was perfect, Justin thought. A small smile spread across his face as he began contemplating exactly how he'd carry out his plan for this evening. Then as the sound of footsteps were heard making their way upstairs, Justin dropped something in his pocket and turned to the doorway.

A smirk slowly made its way onto Justin's face once more as he watched a lovely vision enter into the bedroom. Brittany, wearing a shimmering dress, approached Justin. "Yes," she asked as she looked up at him. Justin looked into her eyes before kissing her forehead. Brittany's cheeks reddened.

"Are you ready," he asked as Brittany straightened up his tie. Brittany smiled and gave a nod. Justin took her hand in his, and with this, the two exited their home. Justin led Brittany out to the car, helping her inside before closing her door. Justin seated himself in the driver's seat and started off down the streets. Brittany smiled, looking out at the beautiful town she could now call 'home'. Ever since their trip to Cape Town that one Saturday, both would fly down together whenever they had breaks in their schedule until they finally decided they would take up residency there. Justin, who would be busy with wrestling, dropped in every now and then to check on Brittany. Having transferred to University of Cape Town, Brittany bade goodbye to her hometown of Chicago as well as to her friends as she settled into her humble abode with Justin.

Cape Town excited Brittany. It was a part of the world she'd never known, and always wanted to explore. The university catered to everything she wanted to learn. The house that Justin had bought them was everything she could've dreamed off. As she stared out of the window, continuing to grin to herself as they drove past beautiful houses, she asked herself if everything would continue to be this perfect. Brittany never believed in 'Disney-princess-endings' (nor did any one of her friends). She didn't believe that love could be perfect, but at this moment, driving along the streets of Cape Town, she rethought all of that. Perhaps, Justin was right by saying 'everything would take its shape'. She hadn't known whether this 'shape' would remain this way or if it'd morph into something significantly different.

"Brit," a voice from behind her disturbed her thoughts. Brittany looked back at Justin who sat back in his seat, shutting off the engine of the car. Although she'd been gazing out the window, with her mind being set adrift, Brittany hadn't noticed they'd arrived at the restaurant Justin promised to take her to. "We're here," he announced. Brittany gave him a small smile before he slid himself out of the car and helped her down. Flashing him another smile of gratitude, both Brittany and Justin entered into the restaurant. In one second Brittany had been mystified by the place. It's walls were painted with many different murals on it. There were murals of the city, of the sunset, and of the people. It's tables were arranged in a neat fashion, allowing each customer to move around the restaurant freely. Justin gave her a peck on her cheek startling her out of her gaze. Brittany's cheeks flushed a deep red as she looked towards him. "Where do you want to sit," he asked. Brittany smiled and looked toward a table in the corner of the room.

"How about over there," she replied. Justin followed her gaze and smiled in agreement with her choice. Justin's hand found hers as he lead their way over to the table in far right corner of the room. As Justin pulled out the chair for her, Brittany took her seat muttering a thank-you under her breath. Justin smiled and sat opposite from her. With her hands lying within his on top of the table, Brittany asked as she looked around at the murals, "Do you come here often?" Justin gave a slight smirk.

"Only once before," he replied to her. She gave him a small smile before the waitress bustled her way over. The waitress, carrying her notepad, had short, brown, hair and glasses that looked like they were about to fall off her nose. Her apron and dress hung loosely off her skinny body.

With a quivering lip, she asked while staring at the mural beside them, "May I take your orders?" Justin smiled and ordered for both himself and Brittany; although it was supposed to be a discreet gesture, Brittany could swear she'd caught Justin giving the trembling waitress a wink. The waitress gave a nod and took a pause before jotting down everything … well, everything that she'd heard … onto her notepad and scurrying away to the kitchens. Justin gave a slight chuckle and looked up at Brittany once more. Their eyes locked for a second before Justin looked down at their joined hands once more.

Brittany opened her mouth to say something, for the table had grown much too quiet as far as she was concerned. As she had, however, the trembling waitress stumbled back toward their table. She stared off at the mural beside them while she talked rather robotically, "Here are your plates, sir and madam. Enjoy." She set down two plates and two napkins before she scurried off once more towards the kitchens. Brittany looked at the woman strangely before shaking it out of her head and looking back at Justin. Justin still hadn't been looking into her eyes, and he wore a thoughtful look on his face. Brittany raised one eyebrow. She opened her mouth once more to speak, however, Justin looked up at her and spoke instead.

"Well, shall we," he asked with a smile on his face - the look of deep thought nowhere to be found on his now dimpled face. Brittany gave a slight nod as their hands separated from each other's. As she took her napkin in her hands, she unfolded it and laid it across her lap. Doing so, she looked down and her mouth gaped open at what she saw next, for sewn onto the olive green napkin were the words 'Sal Jy Met My Trou'. Brittany's brow furrowed and a confused look spread across her face. She knew it were something in Afrikaans, but she hadn't known what it could possibly mean. As she looked up at Justin, who now stood beside their table, she waited for an answer.

A smirk twitched onto his face as he got down on one knee and fished around in his pockets for a box that he'd dropped in there earlier. Her heartbeat quickened in an instant as she watched Justin. Tears built up in her eyes as she had begun to realize what the words sewn onto the napkin had meant. "Will you marry me," Justin's accented voice spoke to her once more. She was left speechless. Her throat tightened and her tears had over-flowed onto her cheeks now. She nodded her head vigorously and Justin placed the ring on her finger.

Sliding off of her chair, she flung her arms around his neck hugging him dearly. Justin wrapped his arms around her and the couple shared a kiss. The onlookers awed and applauded the couple embracing on the floor. Brittany pulled away from the kiss only to mutter, "I love you," to Justin. Justin's lips pulled into another smirk.

"I love you more," he whispered in return. Their lips succumbed to one another's once more in a passionate lip-locking kiss. Finally, all the wondering and thinking Brittany had done, not only in the car, but during the course of her life was over-with. It was no secret her life wasn't exactly the storybook-princess life - with her friend running off and sleeping with another friend's boyfriend, and the drama that came with sharing an apartment - but things had taken shape, just as Justin said they would. This shape, though, had also morphed. It morphed into something Brittany had never believed she'd experience. No, it wasn't a storybook-ending, but a perfect beginning in love.

* * *

><p>It had been 3 months since Kofi had proposed to her at the same art museum they'd visited that time before. Kofi, having travelled to Atlanta for what seemed to be a billionth time, mailed down a ticket to Sonelle to join him up there. Eagerly accepting the tickets, she boarded her plane and flew to Atlanta. Kofi anxiously stood in the airport awaiting his love's return. Although he'd been surrounded by bunches of fans, he had his eyes transfixed on only one - Sonelle. She stepped off the plane only to be swept up almost immediately into the arms of Kofi. The two kissed meaningfully, forgetting everything and everyone around them. The only thing that mattered at this moment, was each other, and so, the two left the airport and proceeded back to the hotel that Kofi had been staying at. Sonelle quickly unpacked and settled in nicely, before Kofi surprised her once more with tickets to a different exhibit at the same art museum.<p>

At 6:00pm, the couple merrily headed down to the museum where they proceeded to the exhibit Kofi had bought tickets to. Walking past several magnificently painted paintings, Kofi had brought them to the stop at one. It was a magnificent painting. The best out of all they'd seen so far, Sonelle noted. It was of a woman with tears stemming down from her eyes. As Sonelle looked closer at painting, she could distinctly see the words '_Vous Etes Mon Bonheur' _scribbled off to the corner of the painting. "You are my happiness," she translated out loud. As she turned to Kofi, she found him balancing on one knee. Her hands flung to her chest as she stared down at him with tears immediately flowing out of her eyes.

"Sonelle," he asked taking Sonelle's left hand. Sonelle swallowed what felt like hundreds of knots in her throat as tears continued to roll down her face. A radiant smile played upon his lips. "You know that you mean the world to me; _you_ truly are my happiness. I made a promise to you before that I'd always be faithful to you, and now," he paused as he removed the promise ring from her finger and stowed it away in his pocket, "I'd like to add onto that promise, if you'll let me." Sonelle's lip quivered as she watched Kofi take out a small box from within his shirt pocket. Opening the box before her, he said once more, "I want not only to be faithful to you forever, but to be yours … for eternity." Her trembling lips pulled into a smile as she nodded her head, watching Kofi place the ring on her finger. Kofi rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Sonelle had done the same and two shared a most loving kiss.

Kofi finalized his divorce with his, now, ex-wife; invitations were sent out; guests had RSVP-ed; bridesmaids and a best man was chosen; and finally, today was her big day. With the flashback that had just taken place in her mind, a slight tear rolled down her make-upped face, as she looked at herself in her flowing blue and pink-coloured gown (Sonelle had never been one to uphold tradition.). Anxiousness and nervousness pulsated through her body as a knock sounded on her bedroom door. "Come in," she managed to mutter. Khaila and Brittany, who were going to be one of Sonelle's bridesmaids, stepped in. Both were already dressed in their bridesmaid dresses.

A bit of tears had swelled up in Brittany's eyes before she shook her head of them. Khaila's smile beamed as she looked at Sonelle in her wedding gown. Even more tears flowed down her face as she watched her friends' reaction. Khaila and Brittany approached her hugging her tight. "You guys," she croaked as she hugged them both just as tight.

"Don't cry, Sonny," Brittany spoke as she patted away Sonelle's tears with a napkin. Khaila smiled as they both pulled away from the hug. Suddenly, another face had tripped herself in. Amelia, who had now grown her once short hair back to its original length and dyed it a brownish red colour, brushed her bridesmaid dress off before she glanced up at Sonelle. Her grey/green eyes filled themselves with tears as her hands flung to her own cheeks. Sonelle giggled a bit as Khaila gave her friend's hand one last comforting squeeze. Sonelle gave each of them a slight nod and so, the girls were off.

Sonelle was driven to the chapel that both herself and Kofi had selected in her hometown of Chicago. As she assembled by the doorway with her bridesmaids behind her, she clutched onto the bouquet that she picked up before leaving the apartment. The chapel's doors opened, and Sonelle took a deep breath. Staring down at the altar at Kofi, her heart did a summersault in her chest. The band played The Wedding March and Sonelle started her ascent up the aisle followed by her bridesmaids. Her eyes never left Kofi's as she continued on down the aisle. She watched as a smile spread across his face; oh, how she loved his smile!

She finally got to the altar. Through her tear-filled vision, she was able to see Kofi grinning at her, and she grinned back. The couple turned toward the altar and the ceremony began with the residing priest saying, "Friends and relatives, we are gathered here today to witness the couple of Kofi and Sonelle join in Holy Matrimony." As time progressed, as did the ceremony, until the time for the exchange of vows came. "I understand that you've both written wedding vows," the priest asked. Both Kofi and Sonelle nodded, and the priest made a gesture which clearly said 'go on.' Kofi turned toward Sonelle and took a deep breath.

"Sonelle," he started, "today I take you in your entirety to be my wife. In this ceremony, I promise you everything that you deserve - love, respect and happiness. Today, I promise you that I will be faithful to you, that I will care for you and that I will bring you as much joy as you've brought me with every fiber of my being, and finally, I promise to love you just the way you should be - completely, entirely and indefinitely." Sonelle's eyes filled to the brim with tears as she tried to quickly swallow down the knots that had been building in her throat.

"Kofi," she began with her tears rolling down her cheeks, "today, I take you to be my husband. With this in mind, I vow to grow with you, to laugh with you and to cry with you. I vow to be at your side whenever you need me, and to ease your mind in times of struggle. I vow to love you, Kofi, with all my heart for as long as I shall live." Sonelle's tears continued to pour out onto her face. Kofi's eyes themselves had become wet with tears. A second reading had been said, and then finally, the priest had presented the rings on the altar before instructing Kofi to take his and place it on Sonelle's finger.

Kofi withdrew his breath again and exhaled inconspicuously as he said, looking into her deep brown tear-filled eyes, "This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have, all that I will give and all that I am." Placing the wedding ring on her finger, a tear had slid down Kofi's cheek.

Sonelle swallowed her knots in her throat - or tried to - once more before responding, "I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart." Taking the ring, she would slide onto Kofi's finger, she repeated his vow, and in turn, he repeated her response. She slid the ring onto his finger, and the priest continued with his closing prayer. Bowing his head after his prayer, the priest looked up at the congregation and at the almost-wedded couple.

"By the power vested in me, by the State of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest finally said. "You may now kiss your bride." Kofi's hands slid onto Sonelle's cheeks wiping away her spilt tears with his thumbs. Sonelle gave a small smile as they locked eyes for a microsecond before their lips fused together for a passionate kiss. The congregation erupted with applause. As they pulled away from the kiss, Kofi smiled down at her. Sonelle gave him a smile as well.

"Are you ready," he asked as Sonelle's arm linked with his.

"Definitely," she told him. The two shared one last kiss before they descended down the aisle leaving their dull individual selves behind and looking forward to a bright future together - one where they wouldn't have to conquer everything alone, where they would grow together with each other in each other's love.

* * *

><p>It had been four months since Punk and Khaila had confirmed that Khaila had indeed not been pregnant, and things were drastically changing. Khaila had packed up her suitcase and loaded it into Punk's car. After being asked by Punk several times whether she'd like to travel with him while he was on tour with the WWE, Khaila had finally agreed. "Khaila," Punk called from inside the house. Khaila marched her way back inside surveying the area for him. He wasn't in the kitchen, nor in the living room. Khaila walked down to the bedroom door and opened it. As she did so, however, Punk didn't look his usual semi-cheerful self. His lips had been pulled into a frown as if he'd been pondering something difficult.<p>

"Everything okay," Khaila asked as she neared him. Punk sat down on the edge of the bed still staring fixedly at the wall behind Khaila. He still hadn't provided an answer. Khaila, crouching down beside him, resting an arm on his leg, looked up into his deliberating hazel eyes before asking, "Punk?" Punk immediately gave a slight jump as if he'd been pulled harshly from his daze. Looking at her, his face continued to maintain that deliberating look. "Is everything okay," Khaila asked once more. Punk nodded slowly twice before letting his eyes wander back to the wall. Khaila rose from her spot of being crouched down beside him and took a seat next to him on the bed. Placing her hands on his, she gave him a peck on the cheek. "Punk, what's wrong," she asked.

She could see Punk gnawing on his lip, careful not to gnaw on his lip-ring. She'd gotten a reaction. Punk sighed and turned to her. "When was the last time you heard from Amelia," he asked. Khaila froze instantly. She hadn't even heard the name since Cody had muttered something about a pre-natal to the nurse. After Sonelle's dinner, everything had fallen apart. Yes, they were there at Sonelle's wedding together; however, Amelia left immediately without even bothering to stay for the reception. Why was Punk bringing her up now? Khaila's eyes narrowed and she rose up out of the bed withdrawing her hands from his and folding them.

"A long time ago," she stated coolly, "why?" Punk got to his feet immediately. He sensed what Khaila was letting on about. No, he didn't want anything to do with Amelia; on the contrary, it was in fact the other way around. Placing his hands on her arms, he delivered a sweet kiss to her forehead.

"Believe me. It's not what you think. She called," Punk said looking towards his phone which now lay on the bed. Khaila raised one eyebrow. Why did Amelia want to talk to her after all this time? What could she possibly want? Hadn't she yelled at Khaila to control her boyfriend when Cody was clearly pounding on him? Why in the world would she want to get in touch with her after so long? Khaila turned her head away from Punk and looked clearly out the window.

"I don't want to talk to her," she said stiffly. She looked back at Punk so as to catch his reaction to all this. The reaction she caught, however, took her by surprise. It wasn't a smile or a chuckle; instead, it was a frown. Had Punk actually been sorry for Amelia? Khaila raised one eyebrow. Punk sighed and looked down at their feet before looking up at Khaila once more.

"Actually," he started softly, "she called to speak to me." Khaila's arms dropped from their folded state as she looked up at Punk incredulously. He gave a slight 'yep-it's-true' nod. "She wanted to see me," he muttered. Khaila looked from Punk to the window once more.

"Do you," she asked stiffly. Punk's brow furrowed.

"Do I what?"

"Do you want to see her," Khaila asked a bit impatiently, as her head directed itself back towards her. Punk looked down at their feet once more. The lack of an answer made Khaila worry. "Well, do you," she asked a bit forcefully this time. Punk closed his eyes and looked back up at her, opening them once more.

"It couldn't hurt, could it," Punk asked. Khaila's mouth hung open. She tried to form words or sentences to say something - anything from stopping them from meeting, but not a single letter matched onto another. Had Punk really wanted to see Amelia? Was he going soft on her now? After all, she'd done and caused for the both of them? Punk moved his lips towards her forehead again, but Khaila dodged it. Punk sighed and placed his hands on her cheeks, turning her face towards his. Khaila looked up into his eyes. "It's not what you think," he told her softly. Khaila rolled her eyes and looked out the window once more. "Hey," he whispered once more. Khaila looked toward him once more. "Look. I just want to see what she has to say; she said you probably have an idea of what she's coming here for anyway." Khaila scoffed. Idea? She barely even wanted to remember Amelia let alone something she'd _said_. It had been four months, whatever she had said was chased out a long time ago.

"When is she coming," Khaila asked crisply. Punk glanced up at the clock on the wall.

"In about an hour's time," he told her. Khaila sighed and attempted to make her way past him. Punk, however, stopped her from doing so. Khaila tried once more, but was stopped again by Punk. She cunningly tried outsmarting him, but Punk was one step ahead and her attempt failed once more. She folded her arms and looked away from him letting out a slight 'humph'. Punk chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. Khaila looked up at him, a small smile breaking out onto her face. "You're not mad, are you," he asked unsurely. Khaila rolled her eyes, still bearing a smile on her face and shook her head.

"Not at you, anyways," she told him. Punk's lips twitched into a slight smirk as he kissed her cheek gently. The couple rested themselves on the bed with the T.V. set on mute. With Khaila resting on Punk's chest, she steadily listened to his heartbeat contemplating exactly what Amelia had wanted. Something she'd told her earlier, but what? Khaila thought back to the dinner. She remembered chuckling at Punk at the dinner table as he made shapes out of his food. She remembered the feeling of wanting to smash a glass over Amelia's head for something she'd said. Khaila closed her eyes then opened them just as quickly. Sitting up on the bed, she looked toward Punk; her chest heaving as she remembered exactly what Amelia had told the girls. Punk looked up at her blankly. The two stared at each other for a while until finally Khaila spoke, "Punk, I know what she wants with you." Punk sat up curiously. "She thinks-" Khaila had begun before being cut off by knocks at the front door. Khaila turned toward the direction of the front door and rose to her feet. Punk watched Khaila leave, still confused. What did Amelia think? What did she want with him? "Punk," Khaila called from in the living room.

Punk lazily rolled out of bed and trudged down the corridor toward the living room. As he entered into the living room, he stared upon the brownish-red haired girl that sat upon their sofa. Punk merely gave her a nod before sitting on another seat. Khaila looked at both of them, still standing. "Should I leave," she asked Amelia coldly. Amelia shook her head a bit.

"Y-You can say. You probably know what this is all about anyways," Amelia whispered quietly. Khaila gave her a stiff nod and sat down beside Punk, who looked more confused than ever. Amelia took a deep breath before looking at the both of them once more. At last, she'd worked up the courage and turned to face them both. "I, um … well, you know that I went in for a pre-natal," she told both of them in a hushed tone. Neither Punk nor Khaila nodded, they simply sat there listening. "Because I was unsure of who the father of my child was; if it were Cody or … you, Punk," Amelia continued her voice shaky. Khaila swallowed hard already sensing what would come next. "The results came a week after, and … it-" tears had flowed onto Amelia's cheeks. "It said Cody was- he wasn't the father," she choked on her tears as she looked down at her lap - humiliation and embarrassment now filling her up inside. Khaila had noticed something unsteady in Punk's breathing. He seemed to exhale more than he inhaled. His hands balled up into fists. "The baby is yours, Punk," she looked up at him. Khaila's bottom lip slipped beneath her teeth as she bit down hard on it.

Punk shook his head. "No, it's not," he told her rising to his feet. Amelia looked from Khaila to Punk pleadingly. Her tears continued to flow down her face even more. Amelia rose to her feet and approached Punk slowly. Khaila immediately stood up and glared at Amelia.

"But it-it is," Amelia said withdrawing the piece of paper from her bag that she'd cried over several months ago. "S-See, it says that Cody's not the biological fa-" she was stopped by Punk's shouting.

"I don't care what that piece of paper says! I want nothing to do with you or the mistake that we made. Nothing was ever supposed to come out of that," he yelled. Khaila quickly took hold of Punk's hand naively hoping that would simply calm him down. Amelia opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, but Punk stopped her once more, "What did you expect to happen? Did you expect me to drop everything I have with Khaila to come live with you to raise a child?" Punk shook his head as he looked at her. "I love Khaila. I can't leave her. I've hurt her far too much, and I don't plan on hurting her ever again, so please, you'd do us all a favour if you just left," he concluded. His chest heaving. Amelia looked from Punk to Khaila, who simply looked down at the floor. Amelia grabbed up her bag, exiting Punk and Khaila's house. Punk took a deep breath and looked at Khaila.

Khaila looked up at him not knowing what to say. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him full on his lips. Punk, caught off-guard by this, wrapped his arms around her as well, sharing in this spontaneous kiss. As the two pulled away, Khaila looked up into his eyes. "I'm not proud of what you said to her," she relayed to him, "I'm glad, though, that you chose me." Punk gave a slight chuckle.

"You were always my choice," he whispered to her. Khaila smiled and the two shared in another passionate kiss. Pulling away once more, Punk leaned his forehead against hers and with a smirk, he whispered, "Let's get gone." Khaila gave a slight nod and the two proceeded into the car. Kissing goodbye to all the drama of their hometown of Chicago, Punk and Khaila steered off into the horizon. There was no plan from there. Neither had thoroughly thought through anything from after the airport. They would simply go … and go … and go. Just they way they always secretly wished it would be - a getaway ride to somewhere that would reflect their love: unintentional, but meaningful.

* * *

><p>Amelia sat alone in a room in the maternity ward dressed in a Johnny skirt. It was one month after she'd told Punk the news. The nurses bustled around, propping Amelia up and fixing utensils around the room. Amelia fiddled with her fingers waiting for some sign that Cody would come. She repeatedly looked at the door hopeful that a bluegreen eyed man would step in and make everything better; however, as the time passed, she realized this only to be wishful thinking. Cody wouldn't come. Why would he? It wasn't his child. He didn't need to come. He wouldn't regret anything. Suddenly the door swung open once more, Amelia's heart leapt as looked to the door hoping it would be Cody. The excitement disappeared immediately off of her face as a man dressed in a doctor's uniform stepped in. "Are you ready for this, Amelia," the doctor asked. Amelia gave him a slight nod. Her eyes becoming blank once more as she stared down at her fingers. And so, the moment mimicked her once traumatizing dream.

Several hours passed, and finally the sound of a baby crying had filled the air. Having presented the child to its mother, Amelia's heart had warmed. A smile spread across her face as she looked down at the, now, passive baby boy in her arms. "Lucas Alexander Rose," she said breathlessly to the baby, as she caressed the baby in her arms. Suddenly the dorm opened once more, Amelia eagerly looked toward the door, hoping that maybe this time it would be Cody. Just as before, her face had fallen and her heart had sunk a bit as a nurse entered the room.

"Miss Amelia," she asked as she approached Amelia with a note. Amelia's hopes had risen. Perhaps it was Cody! Perhaps he'd sent a note telling her he'd return home soon. A smile spread across her face as she took hold of the note in her hands, still caressing a sleeping Lucas on her arms. As she unfolded it, her smile had faded just as quickly as it had appeared. There was nothing on the note except, 'I'm sorry too.' Tears filled her eyes and she dropped the note onto the floor. There was no use in hoping he'd returned. It was just as she'd expected. He left her, and although the note had said 'I'm sorry too', she knew that it had nothing to do with regretting that he was leaving and more to do with regretting he'd ever have the misfortune of crossing paths with her. Suddenly, she'd felt something wiggle in her arms. Looking down, she realized it to be Lucas and a smile had once more formed on her face. It was no doubt that the letter Cody had sent was nothing more than their last goodbye, but as she held little Lucas even more securely in her arms, she began to think perhaps this was her new beginning.


	30. Chapter 30

**Trading Heartbeats**

_Chapter 30 -_** The Beginning**

A total of six years had passed and so much had changed. For one, Sonelle had had had triplets, and both her and Kofi couldn't be happier. Secondly, Brittany and Justin had married - of course, Amelia hadn't received an invitation, but she understood. After all, Brittany had a valid reason not to invite her. Thirdly, Khaila and Punk were still travelling the world. Neither had kept in contact with Amelia. All in all, Amelia had been separated from her friends for a very long time now. She occasionally received phone calls from Sonelle and Kofi; however, those were always seasonal. Nonetheless, they were phone calls. As for Amelia's transformation, Amelia's once, brownish-red hair now stretched lower than it's original place, as she waltzed around the kitchen of her new, one-story house in Long Island, New York, getting two glasses filled with Sprite and a bowl of popcorn ready. "Mom! Mom," a little boy's voice sounded from outside the room until a crash was heard. Amelia's eyes widened, she dropped the bowl immediately on the counter and rushed outside to see a little boy pulling himself up off the floor. Amelia gave a sigh as he appeared to be unharmed.

"Luke, please," she said as she approached him, getting down on her knees and brushing him off, "be careful." Lucas merely smiled, a dimpled smile. Although the boy had the face, eyes and clumsiness of Amelia, his dimples and smile were that of his father's. The boy's hair, though, was an unusual colour. It wasn't the red that Amelia's hair had been naturally, nor was it the blonde-brown of his father's. Instead, this boy's hair was a dark shade of brown. One that reminded her of her ex-boyfriend. Amelia finished dusting the boy off and smoothing down his scruffy hair. "Go sit on the couch, and I'll be there in a second," she told him.

The boy nodded and leapt over to the couch seating himself in the middle and sitting cross-legged. Amelia smiled and retrieved the bowl of popcorn and two glasses of Sprite careful not to spill anything or trip down. "It's starting! It's starting," the little boy called from the sofa. Amelia made her way to the couch setting everything down on the floor in front of them. Lucas sank his way off the couch and onto the floor looking up at the small T.V. screen that sat upon two piles of stacked books. Amelia smiled as she propped her feet up on the couch hugging her knees into her chest. _Yes, sir, we promised you a great match_, the man on the T.V. screen had said. It always surprised Amelia how they never seemed to change the opening.

Lucas looked back up at Amelia and gave her a radiant smile before looking back at the T.V. screen and repeating everything the man had just said. Amelia giggled a bit as she watched her son enjoy something that was in his blood - wrestling. His music hit, and the exact person she'd thought she pushed out of her head appeared on the television screen. The camera zoomed in on his lip-ringed smile as he walked his way out down the ramp and towards the ring. Lucas booed the character on the screen, striking up chants against the superstar, along with the rest of the audience. A slight smile had broken out onto her face as she watched Lucas become involved in the programme. Suddenly, another song had hit and a man had stepped out onto the stage area.

"Yeah! Woo! Cody," Lucas cheered, clapping his hands and chanting along with the other fans. Amelia's heart sank as she looked down at her knees. "Mom," Lucas's little voice spoke up. Amelia jumped a bit and looked down at Lucas attempting to put on her best fake smile she could offer. "Are you okay, Mom," Lucas asked again as he rose to his feet and sat beside Amelia. A tear trickled down Amelia's cheek as she looked at Lucas.

"Yes, son," she whispered as she kissed his forehead lovingly. Lucas gave a half-smile revealing his deep dimple.

"Cody's definitely going to win this match, Mom," he told her informatively as he sank back down onto the floor. "Punk's no match for him!" Amelia half-smiled.

"That's brilliant, Luke," she said quietly as she rose up out of the couch. Luke looked up at her curiously.

"Mom, where're you going," he asked. Amelia looked back at him and smiled.

"I'm just a bit tired, Luke. I'm going to take a little nap. Call me when this match is over, alright," she asked. Luke gave her a small smile and nodded, turning to face the T.V. once more. Amelia retreated back to her bedroom at the far end of the hall. As she pulled open the door, she entered into the darkened room with only a bed, set of drawers and bedside table. The room was rather small compared to her apartment's, but it was liveable. As she closed the door to her bedroom, she flopped herself on the bed lying face first against the pillow. Turning her head, so that her cheek now rested upon the pillow she let her mind fill itself with thoughts of Cody.

She remembered his expression the time they'd caught her and Punk together. She remembered the way he barely wanted anything to do with her before he left. She remembered the note … his last goodbye. Tears stung her eyes as she re-lived all of these memories. She had everything before, but one mistake had ruined and changed everything. Her transgression is the reason her child knows not of his father or of why they can't afford everything his friends were getting. Her tears slid down her cheeks as she hugged onto the pillow she'd been laying on. What if nothing had happened between her and Punk? What if she and Cody had stayed together? She rolled onto her back.

You wouldn't be living in this dump, that's for sure, she told herself as she stared up at the unpainted ceiling. She'd never wanted to move from her apartment in Chicago, but after everything that had transpired there, what was a girl to do? Amelia sighed as she thought back on the way things were before she met Cody. She had friends, she hadn't any worries, her life was okay. She frowned a bit to herself, for she knew Cody hadn't caused all of this … it was her. Her mistake. She'd brought herself right around to that thought once more. It haunted her in her sleep, when she was at work, every second of the day. It's a mistake that she will forever regret and remember. Rolling over onto her side, she stared at the dark drapes that hung over the windows. Suddenly, the room door flew open, and Amelia immediately jumped up into a sitting position. Standing in the doorway was Lucas - panting and sweating as though he, himself, had been wrestling, Amelia giggled as she opened her arms and allowed Lucas to crawl onto the bed and wrap himself in them.

Reaching over onto the bedside table, she grabbed a napkin and dabbed his wet forehead. "Luke, what were you doing," she asked with a smile as his cheeks had gotten rosier every time he breathed. Lucas immediately jumped up on the bed.

"You should've seen it, Mom! Just as Cody was about to do the Cross-Rhodes," he stopped to form the move, "CM Punk slid out from under him and gave him a GTS!" The little boy performed the move on a pillow which landed itself on the floor. Amelia giggled.

"Aw, must've been a great match, huh," she asked as she picked up the pillow. Lucas nodded his head as he sat back down on the bed and wrapped his arms around his mom hugging her tight. Amelia smiled and placed a hand on his head giving his now dry forehead a kiss. Lucas looked up at Amelia and gave her a charming smile.

"Mom," he said very seriously. A smile couldn't help but stay on Amelia's face as she looked down at the little boy. "One day, when I'm in the WWE, I'll give you tickets to every match, and you can come to all of them," he told her. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears as she nodded once.

"That sounds lovely, Luke," she whispered to him as she kissed his forehead once more. Lucas gave her a half-smile as his cheeks blushed. Suddenly, there came a noise from outside - one like an audience erupting into applause. Lucas gasped and turned his head toward the door. Jumping off the bed, he pulled on Amelia's hand.

"Come on, Mom! The next match is starting," he said as he pulled Amelia back into their living room. Amelia giggled and took a seat on the floor next to her son. During the course of the show, she watched as he got up onto his feet and imitated the characters on screen - doing their signature moves, their finishers and pretending as if he were on mic. Amelia giggled and played along with him. His laughter rang in her ears, and the feeling it brought her was something she swore was irreplaceable. Evening then turned into night, and it was time for Lucas to head on off to bed. After he quickly showered, Amelia brought him into his bedroom, which was actually a pantry before now.

Once they moved all the rows of shelves and placed a window, bed and ceiling fan in the room, it became quite habitable. As Amelia pulled the blankets over him, tucking him in, she gave him a kiss on his forehead and made her way toward the door. "Mom," Lucas asked. Amelia turned around on her heel almost falling over in the process. "Are you going to be okay," he asked. A smile spread across Amelia's face once more. "Cause you could always sleep here, if you're afraid of sleeping alone, you know," the little boy continued as he jumped out of bed. Amelia raised one eyebrow and looked at the little boy curiously, making his way over to him.

"Why would you say I'm afraid of sleeping alone, love," she asked him as she sat herself down on his bed. Lucas merely shrugged and sat beside her.

"I hear you crying in your sleep, Mom," he looked up at her sorrowful. "People cry when they're sad or scared, don't they," he asked. Amelia gave a slight nod. Had she really been crying in her sleep? "Are you going to be okay," he asked her once more. Amelia looked at her son and kissed his forehead.

"Yes, Luke, I'll be okay," she said sweetly as she tucked him back into bed. "Night, love," she wished as she neared the door flicking off the night.

"Night, mom," she heard Lucas call back to her. Amelia smiled and closed the door once more. Heading back out to her room, she opened the drapes, looking out at the night sky. She wondered if anyone of her friends had thought about her just as much as she'd thought about them. She wondered what rich and fabulous lives they must be living with their loved ones. With a sigh, she lay herself down in bed letting the moonlight spill into her bedroom as she closed her eyes drifting off to sleep.

Amelia was walking through a crowd of people on a rather grey day followed by Lucas. She hadn't known where she was walking to or why she'd taken Lucas, but she simply followed her feet. She wore rags, literally, as she passed many others dressed properly. They seemed to have known her. They shook their heads disapprovingly at her. They made faces at her. They whispered on and on after her. "Whore," a woman had shouted in her face. Amelia dodged the woman, and just as she had done so, a man had seized her arm. "How about it, beautiful," he added with a smug smirk on his face. Amelia screamed and tugged her arm away from the man running toward the end of the street. Just as she'd reached the end, she knocked over a man stepping out of a bus.

"Watch it," he shouted at her. She recognized this voice. As they both stood up, Amelia stared into the blue/green eyes of her past love. The man shrugged her off apparently not recognizing her at all. Amelia saw him reach for the hand of a woman. As she stepped out of after him, Amelia's blood ran cold. She watched as a vision of herself, with her once red hair stepped out of the bus and strutted away with Cody down the street. "Cody," Amelia screamed after him. Suddenly, there were loud sounds - those that sounded like gun shots down the street. Amelia looked around her for Lucas. He was nowhere in sight. "Lucas," Amelia screamed running down the street. "Lucas! Where are you," she yelled. She ran up to every person on the street providing a description of Lucas and if they'd seen them. She'd felt deranged. Many ignored her, until finally something had shaken her out of her nightmare.

Amelia's eyes flew open and stared into grey/green eyes that matched her own. She realized it was Lucas who'd been standing beside her bed, wearing a worried look on his face. Amelia sat up and caught her breath instantly. As she'd begun to get a feel for her surroundings, she'd realized rain was pounding down on the tin roof of their house and thunder rumbled outside. "Mom," Lucas whispered to her. Amelia looked toward him knowing what he was about to say.

"I know, Luke, and thank you for coming, but I'll be alright," she told him. Lucas raised one eyebrow and then looked down at his hands before looking back up at her.

"What's wrong, Mom," Lucas asked as he sat himself up on her bed. Amelia gave a slight smile and then looked at him.

"I just had a bad dream," she told him. Lucas gave her a small smile before placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Mom. You can just forget that and think of something else - something good," he said. Amelia chuckled a bit.

"You make it sound so easy," she murmured.

"Oh, but it is! Things that you're scared of can't hurt you if you don't want it to," he said. Amelia looked at Lucas with her mouth half-open. Had all that really come out of a six-year-old's mouth? Lucas gave her another small smile and another rumble of thunder shook the house. Amelia jumped a bit at the sudden noise. As she looked back down at Lucas, he looked just as startled as Amelia. Amelia immediately made space for both herself and Lucas on her small bed. With Lucas cuddled up in her arms, she could feel him immediately drift off to sleep. Hugging him close to her, Amelia smiled and closed her eyes.

She didn't want to remember Cody or Punk or anything from her past. She wanted to move ahead. She wanted a new beginning. She was finished trading heartbeats with everyone else. For now, she would keep her heart safe with the little boy who owned it entirely - Lucas. With her hand being placed over his chest, she felt his heartbeat in the middle of her hand. To her, there was no greater feeling than this.

Although he'd been short of many things a regular six-year-old normally had, she was sure the little boy she held in her hands was destined for greatness - whatever that greatness would turn out to be. She, however, was sure of one definite, great thing: her Lucas - her light - would be there to brighten even the darkest of her days. As she opened her eyes, watching the raindrops slide down the window, she thought back to what she'd told herself once before. She'd sworn that having a baby would be the end of her life completely; with Lucas in her arms now, she could never remember being happier, and with this thought in mind, her eyes closed themselves down one last time as she drifted off to sleep.

Perhaps Amelia will never get to live the life she always pictured herself living, perhaps she would never tell Lucas about his father or the real reason why she refused to watched matches with Cody Rhodes in them, and then … perhaps all of this wasn't a bad thing. Maybe, it wasn't 'the end'; instead, it was really just 'the beginning'.


End file.
